ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STAR BASKETBALL GAMES : South Girls Plan for Fast Times, but It Could Be Worst of Times

The South team will attempt to run a thin line tonight in the 10th annual girls’ Orange County High School All-Star basketball game.

The game, which begins at 5 p.m. in UC Irvine’s Bren Center, figures to be decided by tempo and depth. As far as depth of talent is concerned, the figures seem to be heavily in the North’s favor.

Among the North’s advantages are such big scorers as Brea-Olinda’s Carrie Egan, who will attend Cal Poly Pomona, and Whittier Christian’s 6-foot 2-inch Cindy Vyscokil (Arizona State). The North also has such big players as Orange’s 6-2 Suzette Sargeant (Cal State Long Beach), Brea’s 6-1 Kristen McPhee and Westminster’s 6-0 Katie Donica (Cal Poly Pomona).

Also on the front line, the North has Kennedy’s 5-10 Ursula Lovely (University of Portland), who was the Empire League player of the year and the county leader in rebounding with an average of 15.7 per game. She also averaged 24.6 points.

“I don’t want to play set-up basketball with them,” said Eric Bangs of Woodbridge, the South coach. “I don’t think there’s any doubt statistically that they have much better depth.”

Egan, twice the Orange League player of the year, set the Orange County single-game scoring record this season with 56 points against Anaheim. Two weeks later, Vyscokil broke the record by scoring 59 points in a game against Capistrano Valley Christian.

Along with Egan and Vyscokil, Mater Dei’s Geri Gainey (Fresno State), the Angelus League player of the year, and Katella’s Serenda Valdez (Cal Poly Pomona) are excellent perimeter shooters.

So the South’s strategy, Bangs said, is to run. It may sound odd that he would want to play an up-tempo game against a team seemed ready to burst offensively, but it may be his only alternative.

Though he does have Edison’s 6-1 Kristi Smith (Utah), the Southern Section 4-A player of the year, he knows the South cannot match up inside. That was made clear when the South lost two forwards--Fountain Valley’s Melissa Handley (Arizona) is out with a knee injury, and Mission Viejo’s 6-1 Michele Reid chose not to play.

So the South will try a three-guard offense, rotating Edison’s Michelle Hennessey (Utah) and Denise Ogburn (Cal Poly Pomona), Westminster’s Devon Akita (Golden West College) and Mission Viejo’s Christie Wile (Boise State), who will attempt to get the ball up the court quickly and try to stop the North from doing the same.

“I don’t want to run with them, you understand,” Bangs said. “They’ve got too much depth for that. I want to run at them.”

Wile, the all-time Southern Section assist leader with 298, was the South Coast League player of the year. She played point guard but is an excellent rebounder.

Smith, a center, will play forward. This should not be much of an adjustment, as Smith has excellent speed and quickness and is a good perimeter shooter. She is exceptional at filling the lanes on the break.

“In just about every scrimmage or practice we’ve had, she’s been the most dominant player,” Bangs said.

Foothill’s 6-0 Sue Davis, the Century League player of the year, will start at center for the South.