Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis

Brea Olinda and Santa Ana Mater Dei are less than 20 miles apart, but the rivalry between the schools' girls' basketball teams extends nationwide. They're the two top-ranked teams in America, according to ESPN, and after winning their Southern Section Division 1AA semifinals Tuesday at the Anaheim Convention Center, they will each vie for their third consecutive championship later this week. To get there, top-seeded Brea Olinda defeated fourth-seeded Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, 55-36.

Mater Dei High Coach Kevin Kiernan has one concern heading into the girls' basketball season. Even though he returns almost every player from a team that last season won Southern Section 2A and state championships and was ranked best in the nation, he does have one unusual disadvantage. His players didn't play together much as a team over the summer. That's because three of his starters made the United States under-17 team that won a gold medal in France in July. OK, so maybe that situation doesn't inspire loads of sympathy.

THE TIMES' GIRLS' BASKETBALL ALL-STAR TEAM Lindsay Sherbert, Temecula Great Oak, 6-1, F, Sr.: The only girl from California selected to the McDonald's All-American team. California-bound forward averaged 27 points, five rebounds and two steals per game. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Santa Ana Mater Dei, 6-0, G, Jr.: Considered the top junior player in the nation, she led her team to a Southern Section Division 2A title and state championship, averaging 24 points and eight rebounds per game.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis wore a slightly amused look as she walked off the court after fouling out with 5 minutes 15 seconds left in the biggest game of her basketball career. It was almost as if the Santa Ana Mater Dei High junior guard knew her teammates had more than enough left to win without her. The Monarchs did just that, pulling out a 58-43 victory over Concord Carondelet on Friday night at Rabobank Arena in the girls' state Division II championship. It was Mater Dei's second state title, the first coming in 1996.

Watching her now it's hard to imagine that any team would reject her. Five feet 10 inches tall. Compact. Strong. When she moves over the basketball court, she seems to glide. Effortless. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis is among the nation's top girls' basketball players, a silky-smooth shooter who is the leading scorer on the top-ranked team in the country. But there was a time, not too long ago really, that the Mater Dei High sophomore didn't make a team that she desperately wanted to join.