Windward girls aim high as they prep for Mater Dei in SoCal title game

Windward (Los Angeles) coaches and players are treating this weekend's Southern California Regional Open Division final just like any other game.

In reality, it is one of the most significant postseason contests in the history of the program. But the Wildcats have taken a "one game at a time" approach all season and despite already accomplishing their primary goal, they will not be looking past Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) -- arguably the most talented team they have faced yet -- when the squads tip off Saturday at 6 p.m. at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.

Under new coach Vanessa Nygaard, Windward (31-0) started the season determined to regain the Southern Section Division IV-AA championship after being dethroned by Serra (Gardena) in triple overtime last year, then losing to the Cavaliers again in the regionals. The Wildcats not only took back the IV-AA title, they demolished Serra, 85-57, in the section final Feb. 27 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

"Beating Serra was huge and I think the girls were happy they got a chance to play them again [in the finals] because of what happened last year," said Nygaard, who replaced Steve Smith after serving as an assistant since 2009. "It gave them a little extra motivation."

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Ranked No. 1 in California, No. 2 in the Freeman Rankings and No. 3 in the Xcellent 25 Writers' poll, Windward may have the best backcourt duo in the state in senior Courtney Jaco and junior Jordin Canada, the two team captains. Junior center Kristen Simon is a force in the paint and sophomore Emily Surloff can light it up from 3-point range, as she showed by draining six of eight attempts from beyond the arc on her way to 26 points versus Serra.

"The Open Division is a real challenge but we think we can still improve as a team," said Canada, who was named MVP of the Division IV state finals as a freshman in 2010 after netting 12 points and dishing out six assists in the Wildcats' 51-47 victory over St. Mary's (Stockton). "We want to go undefeated, but to do that we're going to have to beat some great teams."

Mater Dei was lauded as the best team in the country in late December after winning the elite division of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona and was the overwhelming favorite to capture its fifth-consecutive Southern Section crown before being stunned by Etiwanda, 73-72, in overtime in the Division I-AA semifinals. However, the Monarchs (30-1) have rebounded from that loss with victories over Stockdale (Bakersfield) and Santiago (Corona) to remain in contention for their fourth-straight state title. They are paced by sisters Karlie and Katie Lou Samuelson, both prolific 3-point shooters who transferred from Edison (Huntington Beach) before the season began.

The Monarchs, ranked No. 2 in California, No. 3 in the nation and No. 12 in the Xcellent 25, have won all but two of their games by 10 or more points and have scored at least 70 points 24 times. Not bad for a team that was supposed to be in rebuilding mode after the graduation of three stars -- Jordan Adams, Nirra Fields and Alexas Williamson -- all of whom now play at Pac-12 Conference universities.

"We play every game like it's our last one," said Jaco, a USC commit who entered the state tournament with 134 3-pointers, four short of the Southern Section single-season mark set two years ago by Kari Korver of Valley Christian (Cerritos). "That's what got us here. We don't take any opponent lightly."

This is the first meeting between the two powerhouse programs since Windward, ranked No. 1 in California at the time, held off then-No. 2 Mater Dei, 65-62, in a nonleague classic last year when post player Imani Stafford (now at Texas) was the senior leader of the Wildcats' offense. There was no rematch in the playoffs since the teams were in different divisions, but the inaugural Open Division this season has made Saturday's marquee matchup possible.

After a first-round bye, Windward beat La Jolla Country Day, 52-46, in the regional semifinals, only the third time all season that the Wildcats didn't win by double digits. At this stage, however, style points don't matter.

"Now is not the time to lose because that would mean the season's over," said Nygaard, who led Stanford to three Final Four appearances and left as the Cardinal's all-time 3-point shooting leader. "So hopefully we have a few more wins left."

Nygaard has huge shoes to fill, but so far, so good. And she has done it her way. Smith led the Wildcats to one state championship, two Southern Section championships and 12 league crowns in his 13 years as head coach at Windward, a small campus of 540 students in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Smith chose his successor because he knew Nygaard understands pressure, having played six years in the WNBA before serving as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Silver Stars when that franchise reached the 2008 Finals. Before that, she was an assistant for four years at Pepperdine. Now she is going head-to-head with Kevin Kiernan, one of the elite high school girls coaches in state history. His record speaks for itself.

In Kiernan's six seasons at Mater Dei, the Monarchs have lost only 11 of 197 games while winning three state titles, six Trinity League titles and four section titles. In 2011, Kiernan was named CIF Division I-AA Coach of the Year and National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Prior to Mater Dei he piloted Troy (Fullerton) for 11 years, leading the Warriors to 11 league titles, five CIF titles and three state crowns.

See the MaxPreps list of girls basketball state champions from across the country

The teams appear evenly matched. Mater Dei twice beat JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) in league by margins of 23 points at home and seven on the road. Windward beat the Lions by 11 points in the P.A.W. Showcase. On Tuesday, Windward edged Country Day by six and Mater Dei throttled the Torreys on their home floor in January. After winning its own division at the Nike Tournament of Champions, Windward posted double-digit victories over Long Beach Poly (a Division I finalist) and Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) at the Oaks Christian Holiday Tournament.

A victory over Mater Dei would validate Windward's selection as the No. 1 seed in the Open Division playoffs and earn the Wildcats a trip to Sacramento for the state championship March 23. 

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