Girls’ Basketball: Bruening, Van Den Heever are All-CIF selections

Corona del Mar High junior forward Natalia Bruening has earned All-CIF Southern Section Division 3AA status for girls’ basketball, as has Estancia junior point guard Maya Van Den Heever for Division 4AA.

Bruening, the Pacific Coast League MVP, earns All-CIF honors for the second straight year. She posted team-best averages of 17 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Sea Kings (23-9), adding two assists and two blocks. She was the fifth-leading scorer in Orange County.

CdM won a share of the league title for the second time in program history and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA semifinals before falling at top-seeded eventual champion North Torrance, 56-26. CdM then defeated San Diego Kearny for its first CIF State playoff game in program history before losing at Orange Lutheran, 37-24, in a CIF State Southern California Regional Division III quarterfinal game.

North Torrance sophomore Brittany McPherson was Division 3AA Player of the Year, while El Dorado Coach Wayne Carlson earned Coach of the Year honors.

Van Den Heever, the Orange Coast League MVP, averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and a team-best 6.5 assists and 5.8 steals for the Eagles. Estancia (19-9)) won its third straight outright Orange Coast League title and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA quarterfinals, where the Eagles lost at top-seeded JSerra, 70-37.

Bishop Montgomery senior Chelsea Lidy earned Division 4AA Player of the Year accolades, while Bishop Montgomery Coach Bridgette Reyes was Coach of the Year.

— From staff reports