Norman Notebook: Girls Basketball Preview

Beverly Hills High School girls varsity basketball is returning three key players from a team that went 21-13 last year with a second-round appearance at the CIF State Basketball Championship tournament.

Included among the returnees are seniors Morgan Mason, Chelsea Austin and Natalie Moy.

As juniors, Mason averaged 10.5 points per game, and Austin poured in 13.2 points and averaged 13.2 rebounds a game. Moy averaged 4 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 steals per same last season as a junior.

"If we can stay healthy, we have some really good players," head coach John Braddell told Patch. "But we play in a very tough league. Five of the six teams in the Ocean League made it to the playoffs and won at least one game."

Morningside and Culver City each performed well in last year's playoffs, with both teams winning their first-round games. Beverly Hills made it to the CIF Southern Section semi-finals before losing to Mater Dei. Inglewood and Santa Monica both won the championships in their divisions.

The lady Normans are participating in early-season holiday tournaments in Inglewood and Redondo Beach.

"It's going to be quite a league again this year," Braddell said.