Eagles, Lightning host foes

Barry Faulkner

Estancia High, which has played a regular season all about streaks,

will try to start the only one that matters tonight at 7:30 in the

second round of the CIF Southern Section Division III-A girls

basketball playoffs against visiting Harvard-Westlake.

Sage Hill, meanwhile, will attempt to extend its first trip to the

postseason against Division IV-A visitor Calvary Chapel of Downey,

also at 7:30.

Estancia (17-8) won its final 12 regular-season games to dominate

the Golden West League, en route to the program’s first outright

league title since 1991. The Eagles, who shared the Pacific Coast

League crown a year ago, preceded their strong finish, however, with

a seven-game losing steak, after a 5-1 start.

First-year coach Tami Rappa’s squad won its last nine league games

by an average of 21.4 points, but figures to get much more of a

challenge from the Wolverines.

Harvard-Westlake (23-5), which finished tied for second in the

Mission League behind No. 3-seeded Chaminade, has won five league

titles the last seven seasons and been to three section title games,

winning two, since 1998. Coach Melissa Hearlihy’s Wolverines won the

III-AA crown in 2001 and claimed the III-A title in 1998. They were

III-A runners-up in 1999, but went on to reach the CIF State Division

III title game.

“We have the talent to stay in the game, but it’s going to take

strategy to win it,” Rappa said after the pairings were released.

Estancia received a first-round bye, so its players and coaches were

in attendance Thursday when Harvard-Westlake trounced first-round foe

San Dimas, 71-41, at home.

The scouting advantage, as well as playing on its home court, are

obvious plusses for the Eagles.

Estancia’s veteran nucleus of talent is also a bonus as the Eagles

try to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999.

Junior point guard Trisha Wase may be the most talented player to

ever wear an Eagle uniform. She averages a modest 12.6 points, but her playmaking and defense are the engine that makes the team go.

Wase, who shared MVP honors in the PCL last season and is expected to

be named MVP in the Golden West League this season, finished out the

league campaign with a quadruple-double against Ocean View (14

points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds and 10 steals).

Wase’s main passing targets have been 5-foot-8 senior Xochitl

Byfield and 5-9 senior Tisha Gray. Byfield is averaging 13.2 points

and has netted a team-high 29 three-pointers. Gray, the leading

rebounder, averages 11.5 points.

Nancy Castro, a 5-10 junior, and Krystal Mino, a 5-5 junior, round

out the starting lineup.

Rappa expressed concern about her team’s shooting percentage in

league and foul trouble, as well as a lack of depth, are also

potential shortcomings.

Should Estancia prevail, it would likely face No. 4-seeded Rosary

(19-8) in Wednesday’s quarterfinal. The Royals face a San Marino team

that eliminated Corona del Mar in the first round, 42-35. Rosary

trounced first-round host Bassett, 82-44, Thursday.

Sage Hill (14-7), an at-large entry after losing a third-place

playoff game in the Academy League, survived a mild first-round scare

Thursday in a 33-22 win over Connelly. The Lightning had beaten

Connelly twice before this season, by a combined score of 103-49.

Calvary Chapel of Downey (14-13) defeated visiting Western

Christian, 42-30, in Thursday’s first round. The Grizzlies finished

third in the rugged Olympic League and Sage Hill Coach Shanna Renken

said she expects a severe test.

“They’re a complete, all-around team,” said Renken, who noted the

Grizzlies defeated Brethren Christian by 10 in a December nonleague

game.

Sage Hill lost 2 of 3 games against Brethren Christian, including

the third-place playoff.

The Lightning will hope to exploit its extreme height advantage,

with 6-1 freshman Haywood Wright (12.8) and 6-2 sophomore Katie

Puishys (10.7 ppg) leading the way. Calvary’s starting center is

listed at 5-9.

“We’ll try to pound it inside,” Renken said. “That has pretty much

been our game all year. I’m expecting them to play us man-to-man, so

we’ll try to use a lot of pick and rolls and have our guards try to

penetrate.”

Tonight’s winner advances to Wednesday’s quarterfinal, against

either No. 2-seeded Bell-Jeff or Flintridge Prep.