The top-six things to watch in the girls basketball playoffs:
1.Mater Dei’s intriguing playoff draw in the Open Division:
The Monarchs (26-2) are seeded second in their pool to Sierra Canyon (24-4), who they edged 43-42 in the finals of the West Coast Jamboree on Dec. 30. One catch is that Mater Dei plays at Sierra Canyon — the reigning state champion — on Feb. 22. The Monarchs might need to win that final, pool-play game on road game to claim a berth in their first section final since 2015.
But Mater Dei also can’t look past its opener against visiting Etiwanda (24-4) on Saturday. The Monarchs edged the Eagles 50-47 in the finals of the early-season Battle at the Beach
2. Watch out for Orangewood Academy in Division 2AA:
The Spartans (21-6) have Open Division talent as their recent 59-58 victory against Etiwanda showed. They’re the top seed in the division and could reach their first section final since their Division 5AA title in 2015.
3. Beware of San Clemente in Division 2A:
The top-seeded Tritons won the rugged South Coast League outright and look like a major threat to reach their first section final since 2007. The post duo of Jessie Blaine (17.6) and Ella Gardiner (16.5 pts) are averaging a combined 34 points per game.
5. Keep an eye on Troy in Division 1:
The Warriors are seeded second to Harvard-Westlake in the division but have the talent and preparation to claim the title.
5. Aliso Niguel-Huntington Beach looks intriguing in Division 1:
The Surf League champion Oilers play host to Aliso Niguel in one of the best first-round games Thursday. The Oilers’ solid defense will be a tested by a high-octane Wolverines’ offense that has played a more difficult schedule. The winner will reach the second round but the task will be difficult Saturday: at top-seeded-Harvard-Westlake, coming off the bye and featuring star junior Kiki Iriafen.
6. Sunny Hills-Tesoro is another exciting first-round pairing with bragging rights:
What is the toughest public school league in Orange County: Freeway or South Coast? This first-round game Thursday will help answer the question as it Freeway League runner-up Sunny Hills plays host to South Coast runner-up Tesoro. The Lancers have been known to get a loud crowd at home but the Titans have played a challenging schedule.