PREP BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES : Southern Section 2-A Girls : Chino Hoping It Can Stand Up to Much-Taller Lompoc Team

The Chino High School girls’ basketball team brings impressive credentials into tonight’s Southern Section 2-A championship game against Lompoc at Gahr High in Cerritos at 7:30.

The Cowgirls are 28-1, with 24 straight wins. Their only loss was to Pasadena Muir, the country’s No. 1-ranked team.

In nonleague play, Chino had victories over 3-A semifinalist Woodland Hills Louisville, defending 4-A champion Compton, and Kennedy of Granada Hills, which is playing in the City 4-A final. All of Chino’s nonleague games were against teams in higher divisions.

Yet, with all that on his side, Chino Coach Joe Murillo is still worried. “We’re not very tall,” Murillo said. “If you want to look at it, we have all guards. If their forwards start controlling the game, it’s going to be tough.”

Chino has one 6-footer, starting center Dawn Plummer, but she is hurt and will not play much. The Cowgirls will start a front line with one player 5-11 and two others who are 5-9 against Lompoc’s starting front line of 6-1 Pam Coffey, 6-0 Marie Fontaine and 5-10 Phyllis Scott.

Because of the height differences, the teams play different types of games. Lompoc (23-3) is a half-court team. Chino presses and runs fast breaks behind guard Candida Echeverria, a style of play that Lompoc Coach Ben DuPree says will help his team.

“We have not suffered a loss against a man-to-man team this season,” DuPree said. “(But) if he decides to go with a zone, that’s fine, too.”

To counter Lompoc’s height, Murillo said his team will play a zone defense.