With Rita Fiorenza and Deanna Valverde being the two main outside forces for San Pedro High girls basketball going into the 2014-2015 season, not much was expected down low due to several graduation losses.

That was before junior forward Melannie Ortiz and sophomore forward/center Iman Garba came along.

San Pedro's newest double trouble force in the paint has helped pace the Pirates to their best season in two decades, and the overall top seed of the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division II playoffs which begins Thursday. San Pedro hosts No.16 Canoga Park on Thursday at 7 pm.

"Man I love my girls," Valverde, a sophomore guard, says of Ortiz and Garba. "Together, they are just trouble for anyone we go up against and are both amazing basketball players."

Ortiz transferred to San Pedro from South Torrance High to team up with Valverde and Fiorenza, also teammates on the Palos Verdes Pressure travel team.

So far, Ortiz has been providing an intimidating force for San Pedro (18-10 overall), who placed third in the Marine League for the second straight season, only losing to powers Narbonne of Harbor City and Carson. On January 28, Ortiz pumped in 30 points in a 69-37 victory at Washington Prep of Los Angeles.

"That was exciting because I was able to have a big impact on an important league game," said Ortiz of San Pedro's first victory in Washington's gymnasium since 1988. Ortiz's biggest adjustment from South Torrance to San Pedro was adapting to the block scheduling of classes.

Garba moved to San Pedro with her family from Kentucky, and like Ortiz, she too had to make some adjustments.

"Starting over in a new atmosphere in school and outside of it, new dynamics socially," said Garba, who once grabbed 14 rebounds in a 58-49 victory over King-Drew of Los Angeles on December 19. 

The overall similarities of styles seem to fit Ortiz and Garba well, and both notice it whenever they're on the court together as well. "Iman and I work great together," Ortiz says. "We have an understanding that one of us is getting that rebound no matter what. We are usually right."

Garba on Ortiz: "We both come from different backgrounds of basketball in our style of play. Combined together our chemistry works well down low."

That in itself should definitely bolster San Pedro's chances in trying to win their first City Section girls basketball championship since winning the 3A Division in 1986, the third girls basketball title in school history. The Pirates have lost in the opening round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons in Divisions I (2012, 2013) and 3 (2014), but they're more than capable of making a long playoff run this time around.

"We are definitely ready to go out there and take care of business," Garba says.

Ortiz is a little more concrete in her thoughts.

"Our team is too strong and dedicated to lose now," Ortiz declares.