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With the final week of the regular season in girls basketball underway, several league titles have been secured across Orange County. Here’s a look at a few of the teams outside of the Top 25 rankings that are having strong campaigns:
Cypress: The Centurions (15-12, 7-0) captured the North Hills League outright for their first league championship since 2023.
Cypress defeated improved El Modena 54-50 last week to stay undefeated in league.
The Centurions have received key contributions from guards Sarina Ulep-Rodriguez and Leah Shigekawa and forwards Hayley Walker and Kailey Tilson, coach Nathaniel Rivera said.
Ulep-Rodriguez, a junior, is an emerging scoring threat, Rivera said. The other three players, the coach added, are sophomores who help with defense, post play and bench production.
Walker scored 19 points and Ulep-Rodriguez added 14 points against El Modena.
Irvine: The Vaqueros (14-10, 5-1) claimed the Pacific Hills outright for its first league crown since 2023.
Irvine has blended youth and experience.
Sophomore guard Karina Choy has displayed a well-rounded offensive game, Irvine coach Sam Davis said.
Freshman guard Lilian Chen, the coach added, has emerged as a top defender.
The guard duo has connected well with senior guards Raquel Renteria and Shivani Joshi, Davis said.
“It has taken a total team effort to get to this point,” Davis said of his under-sized squad. “I’m very proud of the girls for being resilient and sticking together.”
Kennedy and Fullerton: Kennedy (14-12, 6-1) and freshman Ta’Niya Paul can earn a share of the Golden West League title by defeating host Tustin (10-14, 3-4) on Tuesday.
Fullerton (21-7, 7-1) has secured at least a co-league championship. The Fighting Irish are seeking their first league crown since 2019.
Paul, a 6-foot freshman, is averaging 16.3 points, 16.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. “She’s doing an incredible job,” Kennedy coach Nori Nishida said.
Savanna and Anaheim: Savanna (12-13, 5-2) plays host to Anaheim (7-8, 5-2) on Tuesday for the Coast League championship.
The Rebels, the defending league champion, are led by seniors Camaila Carigma, Dyanna Cruz and Jazara Madrid.
Anaheim is now under coach Xavier Barnett with Gus Martinez helping, athletic director Lanny Booher said. The Colonists feature seniors Aleah McGregor and Melody Cortes and junior Giselle Zambrano among others.
JSERRA OPTS OUT OF TRINITY LEAGUE PLAYOFF
The Trinity League appeared set for a three-team playoff for second place between JSerra (19-6, 2-4), Orange Lutheran (17-8, 2-4) and Santa Margarita (17-10, 2-4). But after a card draw to determine the schedule, JSerra forfeited its game at Orange Lutheran on Tuesday and will finish fourth, the Lions confirmed.
JSerra will need to receive an at-large berth to the playoffs when the pairings are announced Saturday at noon.
“We made a wise and intentional decision to prioritize our players’ health,” said JSerra coach Rachael Ziemann, whose team lost at Mater Dei 60-46 on Monday. “It does not make sense to play back-to-back game as we head into what could be the biggest playoff run JSerra has seen, potentially with three or four Open Division games.”
“We are already managing several injuries and risking additional ones would be negligent on our part,” the coach added.
JSerra has three players injured, including Addie Nolan with a season-ending knee injury.
Santa Margarita will play host to Orange Lutheran on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. for second place.
SUNSET PLAYOFF FOR FOURTH PLACE
If Corona del Mar (11-15, 5-6) beats Newport Harbor (8-16, 0-11) on Tuesday, the Sea Kings would tie Fountain Valley (15-13, 6-6) for fourth place and the final automatic playoff spot in the Sunset League.
Corona del Mar and Fountain Valley would play for fourth place on Wednesday at Los Alamitos High at 4:30 p.m.