TAKING CHARGE—Junior guard Megan Kolakowski and the Agoura High girls’ basketball squad open the CIF-SS Division 3AA postseason at home tonight against Baldwin Park. Tipoff is at 7. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers The playoffs have arrived.

Area high school girls’ basketball teams must win to advance. With a loss, it’s time to start the Nick Van Exel “Cancun” chant.

Oaks Christian has no early vacation plans.

The No. 1 seed in the CIFSouthern Section Division 4A bracket, the Lions play host to Morningside tonight.

Agoura, Calabasas, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Newbury Park Adventist and Hillcrest Christian also open their respective postseason jaunts tonight. All games start at 7 p.m.

Newbury Park played at Aliso Niguel on Wednesday.

Expectations are high for Oaks Christian, which won a section title in 2003.

“Our goal is to win the whole thing,” said Oaks Christian firstyear head coach Mario Trutanic.

MAKING THE GRADE— Lauren Tse and the Calabasas High girls’ basketball team posted an 8- 6 record in Marmonte League action. According to Coyote head coach Therese Berner, it’s the most league wins the squad has managed in a single season since joining the Marmonte. BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers The Lions (20-7 overall) must plow forward without junior point guard Brianna Barrett, who’s nursing a high- ankle sprain. Barrett’s not expected to play tonight, and her return this postseason is questionable.

“We hope to get her back soon,” Trutanic said. “With or without her, we have the team and talent capable of winning.”

Sharar Ali-Speakes, a senior, is playing well in Barrett’s absence.

Senior post Crystal Owusu, who’s heading to Columbia University, continues to be a force. Owusu, who averages 12 points per outing, hammered Oak Park with 27 points, 10 rebounds and two steals in a Feb. 5 win.

Meghan McIntyre (13.6 points per game) and Beth Mounier (10.8 points per game) step up on offense. Nicole Packard, a senior, provides defense and rebounding in the paint for Oaks Christian, the second-place outfit from the Tri-Valley League.

“The two things we must focus on are defense and rebounding,” Trutanic said. “Offensively, we’ll be fine. We have gifted players, but they need to buy into the fact that we need stops.”

Agoura, which has won backto back Marmonte League titles, opens the CIF-SS Division 3AA playoffs at home against Baldwin Park. Agoura is 7-0 at home this season.

The Chargers (19-7) reached the title game last year, and have won nine of their last 10 outings.

“I’m pretty happy with our momentum right now,” head coach Steve Scifres said. “We’re doing a better job, X’s and O’s-wise and rebounding. Offensively, we’ve really hit our groove.”

Camille Mahlknecht is playing like Dikembe Mutombo circa 1994, averaging 12.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game.

The senior post enjoyed the two best games of her career in victories against Royal on Feb. 5 and Calabasas five days later, Scifres said. Mahlknecht torched the Highlanders with a triple double of 23 points, 18 rebounds and 10 blocks. She dropped 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks on the Coyotes.

Kylie Cunningham ( 15.7 points per game) is a rock. The junior point guard orchestrates the Chargers’ attack. Freshman Noam Leead (11.7 points per game) is playing with more confidence.

Scifres wants to keep his squad mentally sharp.

“Our team has the ability to win a CIF championship,” the coach said. “But I also think if we don’t come out mentally prepared, anybody can beat us.”

Thousand Oaks (16-11), the Marmonte’s fourth-place team, opens Division 2AA action at University High of Irvine.

“It’s a great experience for the younger kids,” said Lancer head coach Rick Cromwell. “The four seniors have a great opportunity to finish it out right.”

The Lancers, who have eight sophomores on the playoff roster, fluster opponents with suffocating defense.

“We need to score the basketball right now,” Cromwell said. “Our defense is as good as anyone we’ve played. Our problem is executing shots. We’re shooting (34 percent). You can’t win games unless you score.”

Tayler Valdez has made a miraculous return. The senior point guard provides good leadership despite playing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Sydney Perry and Kara Kelly have been playing well in recent weeks, the coach said. Kendall Frisoli (10.8 points per game) leads the way on offense.

“The energy level is as high at the end of the season as it’s been all season long,” Cromwell said. “The kids are excited.”

Injuries and adversity might finally be catching up with Calabasas (13-14), which plays at Yucca Valley in Division 3A.

“We’ve been struggling the last couple weeks,” head coach Therese Berner said. “We’re still struggling with injuries and being healthy. We’ve had a hard time keeping eight healthy players.”

Senior captain Victoria Wei, who tore her meniscus earlier this season, is hobbling on a sprained ankle.

India Wilson, Megan Charles, Katie Noonan and Jaclyn Goodman keep the Coyotes together.

“They have pretty much been there every single day, come rain or shine,” Berner said.

The Coyotes’ eight league wins this season are the most since joining the Marmonte, according to Berner.

Calabasas needs a team effort to advance. The coach said every player needs to score at least six points against Yucca Valley.

“When we’re together, we’re cohesive and play well,” Berner said. “We haven’t had that luxury for a long time.”

Oak Park ( 12- 12) battles Crossroads at home in a Division 4AA matchup.

The Eagles will continue to play their brand of hoops: defend with tenacity and spread the floor for 3-point rainbows.

A first-round win could set up a rematch with Atascadero. Oak Park beat the Greyhounds in the 2010 quarterfinals.

Oak Park reached the semifinals last year but would likely face the division’s No. 1 team in order to make the final four this time around.

“A repeat of last year would be an overachievement of the highest order,” head coach Kenny Golub said.

“I’m feeling very positive. The energy level of the entire team is peaking right now.”

Kelsey Haines, Sarah Bucknovitz, Leah Greenberg, Lindsay Courtney and Erin Matsumoto lead the Eagles.

Westlake (6-20), an at-large team from the Marmonte, faces a formidable foe.

The Warriors go up against top seed St. Joseph on the road in Division 3AA.

Head coach William Burr said Westlake isn’t in the playoffs solely to gain experience—the Warriors want to win.

“Despite our record, you would think our team would fall apart,” Burr said. “But the team has stuck together. They stay together as a family. This season they learned a lot about themselves as individuals and as teammates.”

Sara Raymond and twins Kathleen and Anne Marie Avery stand out for Westlake. Delaney West missed four weeks with a sprained ankle, but she’s back in the lineup.

Newbury Park, 14-13 overall at press time, played at Aliso Niguel on Wednesday in the Division 2AA opening round.

First-year head coach Darren Burge said he’s proud of his team’s resilience, especially during Marmonte action.

“They really turned it around,” Burge said. “They came from basically out of the darkness where everybody left them for dead. They played hard and really persevered.”

The Panthers overcame a 17-2 first-quarter deficit to beat Thousand Oaks on Jan. 14. They also topped league champion Agoura, 63-56, on Jan. 28.

Hanna Burge, Ashley Ontiveros, Grifyn Flattery, Arianna Roberts and Veronica Laperche propel Newbury Park.

In other action, Newbury Park Adventist plays at AGBU of Pasadena in Division 6AA. Hillcrest Christian faces Le Lycee on the road in Division 6A.

“You always look forward to the playoffs,” Scifres said. “Single-elimination games are always fun to be a part of.

“My favorite memory coaching is last year going to Arlington on the road and hosting a semifinal against Buena. Those are memories I’ll never forget as a coach.”