SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL FINALS

BOYS

Today at Loyola Marymount

DIVISION IV-AA

El Segundo (27-4) vs. North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake (25-5), 8:30 p.m.: El Segundo, which hasn’t won a section title since 1963, is making its first appearance in a final since 1967. Each team has a star or two, but the game might come down to whoever plays best as a team. Dashawn Strong (22.4-point average) and Jeramie Hopson (17.5) lead the way for top-seeded El Segundo, while sophomore Bryce Taylor (21) is the only player to average double figures in scoring for second-seeded Harvard-Westlake. El Segundo, which has nine seniors, has the edge when it comes to experience, but both teams feature solid depth.

DIVISION IV-A

Los Angeles Verbum Dei (26-3) vs. Gardena Serra (26-3), 6:30 p.m.: Serra would win in a blowout--if this were a football game. The third-seeded Cavaliers feature five football players, including UCLA-bound Eric McNeal, Arizona State-bound Loren Wade and San Jose State-bound Jason Williams. Serra’s top basketball player, point guard Eugene Jeter, has committed to Portland. But first he wants to lead the Cavaliers to their first section title since winning back-to-back championships in 1999 and 2000. It won’t be easy against a top-seeded Verbum Dei team that features Utah-bound guard Richard Chaney, one of the most versatile players in the region, and Martin Starr.

DIVISION V-A

Los Angeles Price (26-6) vs. Tarzana Stoneridge Prep (23-5), 4:45 p.m.: Price has been here, won that. The top-seeded Knights are seeking their fourth consecutive section title, while second-seeded Stoneridge Prep is making its first championship-game appearance. Price’s leading scorer, Derrick Williams, has only played eight playoff minutes after spraining an ankle late in the regular season. But Williams, who averages 15 points, is expected to return to a lineup that has not been hurt without him, averaging 99 points during its run to the title game. Stoneridge is led by junior swingman James Spencer, who scored a career-high 41 points against Fullerton Eastside Christian in the quarterfinals.

DIVISION V-AA

Palos Verdes Estates Rolling Hills Prep (19-6) vs. Los Angeles Ribet Academy (20-8), 3 p.m.: These Harbor League rivals have already met three times this season, with Rolling Hills Prep winning twice. Sophomore guards Jason Daley and D.J. Wright run the up-tempo offense for the Huskies, who seek their first section title since 1998. Derrick Gaines (14-point average) and Shomar Thomas (13) lead second-seeded Ribet, bidding for its first section title since 1991.