THREE SHOT—As La Reina’s Mary Shirley, right, attempts to get to the basket, teammate Tatum Koval, center, arrives to impede Shirley’s shot. Meanwhile, Katherine Plocharczyk eyes a potential rebound. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers Mel Brooks said it’s good to be the king.

These days, it’s good to be a Regent.

La Reina’s basketball team is on a five-game winning streak. The Regents earned a share of the Frontier League championship, their first league crown since 2007.

Tonight they open the CIFSouthern Section Division 4A playoffs at home at 7 p.m. against Whittier Christian.

“This has been a fantastic year,” said senior point guard Paige Bartholomew.

“I can hardly believe it.”

Led by first-year head coach Steve Delsohn, La Reina emphasizes tough defense and teamwork.

“The big thing coach tells us is to play for each other,” Bartholomew said. “It’s about making the extra pass. We play for each other and as a team.”

ON THE BALL—LRHS point guard Paige Bartholomew is second on the team with 39 steals. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers The Regents (12-11 overall) generate excitement about basketball on a campus where cross country and volleyball have dominated recent headlines.

In a signature moment, La Reina toppled defending league champs Villanova 36-34 on Jan. 31.

The players were “delirious” after the clutch road win, the coach said.

“It was the best moment of the season, for me, watching them celebrate,” said Delsohn, who assisted varsity the previous three years.

“These girls have been completely committed since the summer. It’s a really hardworking group that’s shown tremendous improvement over the course of the year.”

Despite missing nine games with a thumb injury and playing with bandages on her hand, Bartholomew is a steadying force in the lineup.

She’s a great passer, excellent 3-point sniper and clutch freethrow shooter, Delsohn said.

“Paige has one of the highest basketball IQs I’ve seen in high school,” the coach added.

“We’ll work on something in practice and she can incorporate what we’ve learned into a game pretty quickly.”

Bartholomew, who helped the Regents qualify for the postseason as a sophomore, said she’s looking forward to hosting her first high school playoff game.

“I didn’t think we’d get a home game,” she said. “I thought we’d be on the road three hours away. I feel lucky to have it here.”

The senior averages 8.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per outing.

Bartholomew competes in the 400-yard run in track and is also set to coach a youth girls’ basketball team. Her father, Dave, is a varsity assistant.

She’s leaning toward studying psychology at Saint Louis University.

Brooke Tarver is a tremendous athlete who finishes her shots in the lane.

Tarver paces the Regents with 12.2 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

“We all are so determined,” Tarver said. “We all want it so bad.”

Tarver said she always strives to improve.

“I think about what I can do better for the next game or the next practice,” she said.

An outside hitter in volleyball, Tarver spends quality time with her grandparents, Elouise and Eugene Tait. Tarver said she enjoys listening to her grandma’s “hilarious” childhood stories.

Freshman twin forwards Kat and Mary Shirley are formidable in the post.

Kat Shirley is a hustler who scoops up rebounds. She leads the Regents with 7.6 boards per night.

“We’ve been working really hard,” Kat Shirley said. “Our effort has shown. Our focus is mostly defense and shutting down certain players. We’ve been doing all right with that.”

Delsohn raved about the forward’s intangibles.

“She brings tremendous intensity to every game and practice,” the coach said of Kat Shirley. “She’s a versatile, hard-nosed kid.”

Shirley, who wants to work on her outside shooting, will try sprinting and throwing for the track and field team in the spring.

No Regent has developed more than Mary Shirley this season, according to Delsohn.

Mary Shirley is a dangerous low-post scorer who passes well.

She’s no slouch on the glass, gleaning 7.1 boards per game while chipping in 6.3 points.

“It’s a good start to my high school career,” Mary Shirley said of clinching the Frontier title.

During the summer, the sisters help out at their aunt Linda Mattson’s preschool, the United Methodist Rainbow Children’s Center in Moorpark.

Mary Shirley, who played club soccer for years, said she will try hurdling in track and field.

Tatum Koval, a junior wing, is a shutdown defender who flusters posts and wings.

“She’s one of the best defensive players in the league,” Delsohn said of Koval.

Koval deflected an in-bounds pass with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to seal the victory at Villanova.

In box-and-one formations, Koval is the one hounding the ball.

“I can’t wait to keep playing and see how we do in the playoffs,” said Koval, who’s involved with campus ministry, student council and the National Charity League volunteer group.

Ivana Vergot makes big plays in big games, the coach said.

Raw as a freshman, Vergot has developed into a solid senior post.

Vergot said she tries to bring leadership and energy to the court.

“ This year, we work well together,” she said.

Vergot hopes to study biology at UC Santa Barbara. The senior enjoys learning and performing Croatian folk dances at St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church in Los Angeles with other teenagers. She also volunteers at St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo.

Rebecca Rivera is a tough, energetic junior guard from Puerto Rico who plays solid defense.

Junior guard Katie Gerbasi has nice outside shooting touch.

Hannah Mikell is a promising, tough freshman with a martial arts background.

“It sounds cliché, but it’s true: This is a great group of kids,” said Delsohn, a Thousand Oaks author of several sports books, including “Da Bears!” and “Out of Bounds.”

“ They never back down. They’re setting the stage for La Reina basketball to prosper in the future.”