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Three Orange County girls basketball teams proved themselves in different ways Saturday by capturing tournament titles. Here’s a closer look:

Mater Dei: Orange County’s top-ranked team showed it’s still a major contender in the Open Division with a 60-56 victory against postseason rival Centennial Corona in the finals of the Troy Classic.

The two-time defending CIF-SS Open Division champion are retooling on offense after graduating three starters but remain powered by its defense and clutch play.

The Monarchs (6-0) led 30-27 at halftime against the Huskies (6-2), who they edged for the section crown in the spring. But Centennial, which beat Mater Dei for the SoCal title, outscored Mater Dei 18-9 in the third quarter to trim the Monarchs’ lead to 39-38 entering the final frame.

But despite playing without Coach Kevin Kiernan, who was at the Monarchs’ state football game as athletic director, Mater Dei responded in the fourth against a Centennial squad that owns wins against Windward and Cathedral Catholic.

Utah-bound Lani White, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the section final last season, continued to torment the Huskies with 22 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore center Jenessa Cotton displayed her combination of strength and shooting touch with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Orangewood Academy: The Spartans played like a potential Open Division contender by handling Esperanza 59-37 in the finals of their tournament.

While the return of Hannah Stines from Troy has garnered the spotlight, Orangewood Academy (7-1) has assembled a strong supporting cast.

Freshman shooting guard Alissa Belen scored 27 points, all coming on 9 3-pointers, against Esperanza and shared tournament MVP honors with fellow freshman Vicky Om. Belan made school-record 9 of 15 shots from beyond the arc.

The Spartans also have added transfer forward Jayionne Brown and will soon add sitout transfer Brya Arroyo-Gillcrese, a guard, and a healthy Sofia Saldivar at forward.

“We’re in the mix,” Orangewood Academy coach Leslie Aragon said of the Open Division. “I’m pleasantly surprised how (the freshmen) are handling everything.”

Sonora: The Raiders held off improving El Dorado 45-37 to claim the inaugural Sunny Hills Showcase.

Sonora improved to 8-3, solidifying its status as the strongest challenger for Troy in the Freeway League and a team to watch in Division 2AA.

Leah Saynes paced the Raiders in the final with 12 points and seven rebounds. Fellow senior guard Jazmin Sheikh earned MVP honors.

“We are starting to come together as a team and embrace our roles and we are improving defensively,” Sonora coach Melissa Barajas said. “We still have a lot of upside and room for growth.”

NOTES  

Mater Dei is among the teams headed to the Nike Tournament of Champions, which runs Saturday through Dec. 22 in Phoenix, Ariz. The Monarchs open the Joe Smith Division against Classen School of Advanced Studies of Oklahoma. The Joe Smith bracket also includes Open Division contenders Centennial Corona and Etiwanda.

Other county teams playing in Phoenix: Rosary, Troy, Pacifica Christian, JSerra, Huntington Beach and Corona del Mar. …

Crean Lutheran senior guard Taylor Feldman could reach the 2,000-point milestone against Aliso Niguel on Saturday. …

Woodbridge sophomore forward Teagan Burrus scored 30 points in a victory against Irvine.

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