PREP ROUNDUP : La Habra Can’t Overtake Brea

For 3 1/2 quarters Saturday night, La Habra stayed with the top-ranked Brea-Olinda girls’ basketball team, but the Ladycats pulled away to win, 51-38, in a nonleague game at La Habra High School.

Jody Anton’s jumper with two seconds remaining in the half gave Brea-Olinda (20-2) a 23-21 lead at halftime, and the Ladycats never trailed afterward. La Habra (12-6) managed to stay close until midway through the fourth quarter, with the score 40-34 with 4 minutes 25 seconds left.

The Highlanders were hurt when guard Martha Hernandez, the team’s second-leading scorer with nine points, fouled out with 1:45 left in the third quarter. Senior Zrinka Kristich led La Habra with 16.

“I was surprised they kept her in,” Brea-Olinda Coach Mark Trakh said. “Without her, they didn’t have the same quickness in the fourth quarter and we pressed and maintained.”

Sophomore Sarah Beckley led the Ladycats with 15 points, including eight in the third quarter. Teammate Colleen Hudson, also a sophomore, had 11 points and Anton added nine.