PREP FOCUS: SATURDAY-NIGHT BLIGHT LOCALLY SIX OUT OF SIX TEAMS MEET DEFEAT.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

Area prep girls' basketball teams suffered a collective case of Saturday-night fever over the weekend. But there was no disco dancing in polyester suits on this evening. Only upset stomachs and tears.

Newbury Park, Alemany, Harvard-Westlake, Camarillo, Chatsworth and Oak Park took the floor Saturday for playoff games. All left the court with losses.

Five of the six teams were eliminated from either the Southern Section or City Section semifinals (Camarillo's 46-34 at Lynwood was a I-AA quarterfinal).

Newbury Park let its first appearance in a section-championship game since 1995 slip away with a fourth-quarter collapse against Laguna Hills. The Panthers led 41-34 with five minutes remaining and lost 54-43 to the Hawks. Losing just three seniors gives the Panthers reason to be optimistic.

``It's what we have to look forward to next year,'' said Panthers sophomore Cassandra Harris. ``We came this far as sophomores. Imagine what we can do by the time we're seniors.''

Such a positive outlook didn't do much good at the time. But Nori Parvin, Newbury Park's coach for 26 seasons, vows the Panthers will be back.

Camarillo, Chatsworth, Oak Park and Harvard-Westlake can't be too disappointed. All lost to higher-seeded opponents. Chatsworth fell 69-43 in the City Championships to 29-0 Narbonne, USA Today's top-ranked team.

Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood has basketball left to play despite losing 85-56 to second-seeded Bishop Montgomery. The four III-AA semifinalists will compete in the Southern California Regionals that begin next week.

``I told them before the game that there wasn't as much pressure because even if we lost, our season wasn't over. Now we can go back to the drawing board. And we have about a week and a half to get ready,'' said Harvard-Westlake coach Brian Taylor, whose Wolverines were a win shy of the section finals playing without injured Rolake Bamgbose.

Top-seeded Alemany of Mission Hills' 61-49 upset by defending III-AA champion Rosary is tough for the Indians to swallow in spite of a guaranteed trip to the state playoffs.

Alemany senior guard Kate Beckler's high school career hasn't ended yet. And she'll play at Rice next year. But that didn't keep her from choking up knowing she won't get the chance to win a second Southern Section title.

``It's just not the same. College is more like a business. This is like my family. That's why it hurts so much,'' said Beckler, a member of Alemany's 1998 III-AA champion.

--Confident Wolverines: Top-seeded Harvard-Westlake, seeking its first- ever trip to the Southern Section girls' soccer finals, plays at Bishop Montgomery in the Division IV semifinals Tuesday.

The 20-2-4 Wolverines seem poised to reach that elusive championship match. Eliminated in the semifinals twice in three previous years, Harvard's 6-0 blanking of Laguna Beach in the quarterfinals was its best performance, according to coach Ned Smith.

``(Laguna Beach) had won its first two matches 4-0 and 5-0. And they came in here very confident,'' Smith said. ``We were the better team, but we've been the better team before and lost.''

Chaminade of West Hills hosts Corona del Mar in Tuesday's other semifinal.

--Odds and ends: Simi Valley has played in town for its three Division I-A playoff games but must make a long trip to Perris High for Tuesday's semifinal game against Moreno Valley Rancho Verde. . . .

Chaminade girls' soccer player Kristen Jackson remains hospitalized but is now in stable condition, Eagles coach Mike Evans said Sunday. Doctors have not concluded what caused Jackson to be put on life support early last week, but Evans visited her at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles on Saturday and she was awake and coherent. . . .

Moorpark senior guard Todd Tomlinson, who guided the Musketeers to the II-AA quarterfinals, has yet to choose between a handful of Division I schools recruiting him. The 6-1 Tomlinson, who averaged 25 points per game, has already made a recruiting trip to Navy. West Coast Conference schools St. Mary's, Loyola Marymount and San Diego are also interested.

``Now that the season is over I'll have a chance to sit down and talk to my family,'' Tomlinson said.