HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL : Top-Seeded Diamond Bar Faces Tough Competition

The race for the Southern Section girls’ basketball title will be wide open when the playoffs begin Wednesday.

Unlike last season, when powerhouse Lynwood dominated Division I-AA, which has the largest and most competitive schools, this season is more unpredictable.

“It seems like it has been a year of upsets,” said Jim Salyer, coach of Diamond Bar. “I think everybody in the playoffs . . . has a chance to go beyond what they thought.”

Diamond Bar already has exceeded Salyer’s expectations. The Brahmas lost three starters from last season’s team, which finished 25-2 and advanced to the Southern Section semifinals, then lost to Lynwood. Even so, they allowed only 37 points a game on their way to a 23-2 record this season and are the top-seeded team in I-AA.

The Brahmas are led by their two returning starters, senior guards Princess Hatcher and Jaime Gast, who averages a team-leading 13.7 points. Gast has set school records with 344 steals and 1,168 points.

Salyer had mixed emotions about being top seeded.

“It’s an honor because we’ve worked very hard for three years to develop a program with a winning tradition,” he said. “On the negative side, no one would like better than to knock off the No. 1 seed, so they’re going to come and play.”

Diamond Bar will have a bye in Wednesday’s first round, then will play host to either Fontana A.B. Miller (14-9) or Rancho Cucamonga Alta Loma (10-12) in the second round on Saturday.

Lynwood (18-5) is seeded third behind Long Beach Poly (21-4) and is not as dominant as last season, when it lost in the State Division I final to Atherton Sacred Heart. Lynwood also has a first-round bye and will play host to Hesperia (17-7) or Moreno Valley Valley View (17-9) in the second round.

In I-A and II-AA, top-seeded Ventura Buena (20-2) and Irvine Woodbridge (25-1) will try to defend their respective sectional titles. Mission Hills Alemany (15-4), which won the II-A title last season, has moved up to II-AA, where it is seeded third.

Brea-Olinda (24-2), which won the III-AA title last season before winning its fourth consecutive state title, has moved up to II-A, where it is top seeded.