February 2008 Archives
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO — When Sue Crebbin stepped into the women’s basketball job at San Bernardino Valley College three years ago she inherited a team that won two games at a school lacking the resources of many of its rivals. There did't seem to be any indicators that the program could reach the lofty status of it men’s counterpart.
But it is Crebbin’s Wolverines (26-5) preparing for a playoff run which begins Friday with a 7 p.m. game at Snyder
Gymnasium against Fullerton College (20-13), the same team that eliminated it from the playoffs last year.
Should the No. 7 seeded Wolverines get by this one, defending state champion Mt. SAC (32-1) would likely be next. Not even that fazes the veteran team.
“If you’re going to win it all, you have to beat them all. It doesn’t matter when you play them,” said Crebbin, who came to the school after coaching stints at Yuba College and American River, both in the northern part of the state. “This team would rather play the better teams. They get bored when they’re not playing good teams.”
The program has progressed each year. In Crebbin’s first season the team doubled its win total to four, even though she got the job late in the summer and had no chance to recruit. The positive sign was that three of those wins came in the last four games.
Last season proved to be the breakout year. The Wolverines went 20-10, finishing a respectable third in the Foothill Conference. It served notice by upstaging Orange Coast in the first round of the playoffs for the first postseason win in school history.
That showing and the fact the core of the team returned this season meant higher expectations. Again the Wolverines rose to the occasion, this time winning the conference for the school’s third title but the first since 2001.
A win tonight over the No. 10 seeded Hornets would set a school record for wins and stretch the team’s winning streak to 16 games, also a record. Crebbin, selected conference coach of the year by her peers, said the character of her players has been a big factor.
“It’s easy for kids to go to an established program and jump on board,” she said. “But it’s more rewarding to go to a school where you can make a difference and be a part of the building process. The fact that these girls came here says a lot about them as individuals.”
Team chemistry is another intangible that has been pivotal. Crebbin has 10 players, six of them sophomores. The players spend considerable time together off the court as well, using their bye week to go bowling.
Sophomore Sylvia Roland graduated from Rialto High School and originally went to Division II New Mexico Highlands to compete in track. She didn’t like it there and transferred to SBVC after talking with former teammate Ja’Nae Westmoreland who played at SBVC the previous two seasons.
“Everyone wants to go away. But I got there and didn’t like it,” she said. “Here we’re like a family. Everyone gets along. Now I wish I would have come here first.”
While Crebbin and assistant Julia Smith have put in countless hours attending games at area high schools, word of mouth has also landed them quality players. Sophomore Simeone Baker came to SBVC two years ago because Elizabeth Luke, a former teammate at Twentynine Palms, was playing volleyball for the Wolverines.
Baker looked into the school because of Luke, then found out about its strong nursing program and was sold.
The Wolverines, ranked No. 10 in the state and fifth in Southern California, graduated their two solid post players so this year’s squad has relied on athleticism and a tenacious defense.
The team is balanced with sophomore guard Shy Walter (12 ppg, 4.5 rpg) followed closely by sophomore point guard Jasmine Mashall (10.1 ppg, 4.1 rg, 4.7 spg, 4.3 apg). Those two were first-team all-conference selections along with Baker (8.7 ppg, 7 rpg), whom Crebbin singles out at the most consistent player on the squad.
They are joined in the starting lineup by Roland (7.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and sophomore forward Ronisha Edwards (9.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) with sophomore guard La’Quita Jordan (9.3 ppg, 2.2 spg, 2.3 apg), the spark plug off the bench.
Showings against common opponents favor the Wolverines as SBVC has beaten three opponents to whom the Hornets have lost. Both teams have common losses to Mt. SAC and Pasadena with those by the Wolverines coming by smaller margins.
The Hornets have five sophomores, with two of those - Jessica Duran (11.2 ppg, 5 rpg) and Amy Richard (11.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg) - the team’s top scorers. At 5-11 and 6-1 their height will pose a problem for the smaller but quicker Wolverines.
“We’re happy about getting the chance to redeem ourselves,” Baker said. “It’s always nice to get to knock out the team that knocked you out last time.”
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
When the Chaffey College women’s basketball team takes the court Friday in the first round of the Southern California Regional playoffs, it will be facing a team that plays much the same style.
The No. 9 seeded Panthers (24-7) will play at No. 8 Cerritos (24-8) at 7 p.m. Not only are the teams similar, they have played before. If that game is any indication of things to come the playoff game should be tightly contested.
The Falcons won the first game at a tournament hosted by Orange Coast 71-61. That game went to overtime as the teams ended regulation tied at 57.
“They are very much like us,” third-year Chaffey coach Gary Plunkett said. “They like to run and we like to run.
Both of us play a motion offense where we like to spread the floor. It should be a great game. Our girls were excited about getting another chance at them.”
The winner of the game will advance to face No. 2 seed Orange Coast (29-3).
The Panthers finished tied for third in the Foothill Conference. They have only two sophomores, one of them starting forward Christina Warren (13.5 ppg, 5 rpg) who netted 23 points the first time the teams played.
Joining her in the starting lineup are four freshmen - guards Tamesha Jackson (13.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Keisha Mackall (11.9 ppg, 3.6 apg), forward Aundria Anderson (10 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and 6-foot-1 center Johnshunay Parson (4.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg).
Zipporah Brown (5.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg), another freshman, has been a steady performer off the bench.
Cerritos, the first place team out of the South Division of the South Coast Conference, has four players averaging double figures led by sophomore guard Maltresa Neely (13.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg). The Falcons are ranked sixth in Southern California and 12th in the state. Plunkett is also quite familiar with the Falcons coaching staff.
Assistant Steve Johnson went to Alta Loma High School and coached in youth leagues in Rancho Cucamonga. He was also an assistant at Dominguez Hills at the same time Plunkett was there.
Cerritos head coach Karen Welliver is in her 25th year and has won more than 500 games. Plunkett recruited many of her players when he was with Dominguez Hills.
“Knowing them so well will make it that much more fun,” he said. “I a looking forward to it.”
Defending state champion Mt. SAC (32-1) begins defense of its title on Saturday. Coach Laura Beeman’s Mounties will host Santa Ana (18-13), which defeated Cuesta 65-56 Wednesday night in a play-in game.
Mt. SAC has won 32 straight games since dropping its season opener to Orange Coast and is led by conference player of the year Jazlyn Davis (18.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), a bounceback from USC.
Other key players include 6-2 sophomore center Carmen Deal (15.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg), sophomore guard Sahfiya Brown (8.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and freshman guard Blaire Edgardo (9.1 ppg).
Citrus (30-1) is the lone area representative still left on the men’s side. The top-seeded Owls open play against Imperial Valley (21-10) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The teams have not played this season.
Citrus is coming off its first Western States Conference title in 25 years and enters riding an 18-game win streak. Its last loss came to Antelope Valley in quarterfinal play at a tournament in Riverside in December.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Mt. San Antonio College women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman had a feeling her team’s lone loss of the season might come back to haunt her, even though it came in the first game.
She was right.
The Mounties will head into the state playoffs as the No. 2 seed despite a 32-game win streak. Orange Empire champion Orange Coast (29-3), which defeated Mt. SAC 63-57 on Nov. 9, is the top seed.
There were different sets of criteria used. While three-time and defending state champion Mt. SAC boasted the best record and a higher winning percentage, Orange Coast had a higher strength of schedule both in and out of conference.
Orange Coast had 20 quality wins, Mt. SAC 19. A win by the Mounties in the head-to-head would have flipped that number.
“I said it to my assistant (Brian Crichlow) that night,” Beeman recalled. “I knew we weren’t going to seem them again so we wouldn’t have a chance to avenge that loss. It just goes to show every game does mean something.”
Beeman, rounding out her 13th year as coach, said that might not necessarily affect the Mounties in the Southern California Regional since they will still get two home games but it would come into play at the eight-team state tournament.
The Mounties open play on Saturday at home against the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between No. 15 Santa Ana (17-13) and No. 18 Cuesta (21-9).
“This time you can’t take anyone lightly because it’s one and done if you lose, no second chances,” she said.
Chaffey also made it into the 18-team women’s field. The Foothill Conference got four teams in the draw. The others are champion San Bernardino Valley (26-5), runner-up Mt. San Jacinto (21-10) and Antelope Valley (18-13).
The Panthers tied Antelope for the No. 3 spot in the conference but lost the head-to-head with the Marauders, meaning they were relegated to the fourth seed out of the conference.
Coach Gary Plunkett thought his team might get left out but its strength of schedule payed off. The Panthers are seeded No. 9 and will play at No. 8 Cerritos (24-8) on Friday.
“I went from thinking we had a good chance to thinking we probably wouldn’t get in,” he said. “So I am just thrilled we made it. I knew there was pretty much no chance of a home game.”
Area representation on the men’s side is even lighter but it will be a quality team left carrying the banner as Citrus (30-1) was awarded the top seed.
The Owls are riding an 18-game win streak, their last and only loss of the season coming to Antelope Valley 78-70 in the quarterfinals of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic at Riverside Community College in December.
The overall record and perfect 12-0 in Western States Conference play set school records and the conference title is also a first.
Coach Rick Croy’s team has a first-round bye and will face the winner of Wednesday’s play-in between No. 16 El Camino (20-10) and No. 17 Imperial Valley (20-10) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Chaffey (17-13) did not make the 20-team field. The Panthers finished fifth in the Foothill Conference and could not make the draw ahead of fourth-place San Bernardino Valley (13-15) which was done in by a 4-10 showing in nonconference play.
While the Panthers beat four 20-win teams, they also lost to two conference teams that finished a combined 20 games under .500. They also lost twice to SBVC which is missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
“We were young and inconsistent. That’s the bottom line,” Coach Jeff Klein said.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
For the San Bernardino Valley College women’s basketball team there was both good news and bad news when state playoffs pairings were announced Monday.
The Foothill Conference champion Wolverines are getting a home game against the team they lost to last year.
The bad news is that should they advance, the defending state champion will most likely be the next foe.
“We’re playing well right now so I don’t think it matters much who we play,” coach Sue Crebbin said. “The teams that are still playing are all good so there won’t be an easy game. This team seems to get more up for the better teams anyway.”
The seventh-seeded Wolverines (26-5) will square off with No. 10 Fullerton (20-13), the third-place team out of the Orange Empire Conference, at Snyder Gymnasium at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Last year the Hornets eliminated SBVC 77-69 in the Wolverines’ initial second-round appearance in school history. That came days after Crebbin’s squad managed a win over Orange Coast for the its first postseason victory.
“We have everyone back and they haven’t forgotten,” Crebbin said. “I would think that is incentive enough. The girls are excited about getting to play them again.”
Defending state champion Mt. SAC (32-1) is seeded second in the Southern California Regional behind Orange Coast (29-3). The Mounties’ lone loss came to the Pirates the first game of the season.
Mt. SAC starts out by facing the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between No. 15 Santa Ana (17-13) and No. 18 Cuesta (21-9). Then it would face the SBVC-Fullerton winner.
The Foothill Conference has four teams in the 18-team draw. The others are Mt. San Jacinto (21-10), Chaffey (24-7) and Antelope Valley (18-13).
The Chaffey Panthers tied Antelope for the No. 3 spot in the conference but lost the head-to-head with the Marauders, meaning they were relegated to the fourth seed out of the conference.
Coach Gary Plunkett thought his team might get left out but its strength of schedule payed off. The Panthers are seeded ninth and will play at No. 8 Cerritos (24-8) on Friday.
“I went from thinking we had a good chance to thinking we probably wouldn’t get in,” he said. “So I am just thrilled we made it. I knew there was pretty much no chance of a home game.”
On the men’s side the news was not as good for the local teams. The Wolverines (13-15) settled for fourth in the conference and were done in by a 4-10 showing in nonconference play. It is the first time in 10 years the school did not get into the playoffs.
SBVC’s failure to get in also meant the end for Chaffey (17-13) which finished fifth in the conference and could not get in without the Wolverines making it too.
The Foothill Conference has three teams in, all of whom tied for the conference championship. But Mt. San Jacinto went in as the top team from the conference and was rewarded with a No. 5 seed. Antelope Valley is seeded 10th in the 20-team field with College of the Desert No. 11.
Riverside (25-7), the No. 3 team out of the Orange Empire Conference, is the No. 9 seed and will travel to No. 8 Los Angeles City (24-8).
Citrus (30-1) is the top seed. The Owls have won 18 straight games and await the winner of a play-in game between El Camino and Imperial Valley.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Foothill Conference honors have been handed out and local individuals took many top accolades.
Lewis Leonard of San Bernardino Valley College was named Most Valuable Player.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore averaged 25.2 points a game which ranked second in the state in that category behind Harold Cleveland of Pasadena (25.4). Leonard also averaged 6.5 rebounds.
He was also a starter last year for the Wolverines who had three other highly touted players.
Coach Gerry Wright said his standout improved on both ends of the court.
“He put up great numbers but his biggest improvement was in defense. Before he came here he didn’t know the meaning of the word. “The other thing he learned was how to put up numbers in the framework of the offense. He became much more efficient. Instead of going 7-for-30 he could get the same points going 7-for-15.”
Sophomore teammate Johnny Barnes was also named to the first team. Chaffey is represented by Winston Robinson and Nick Turner, both freshmen. The first team also included Kaiser grad Alan Alston of Victor Valley College and Jerome Davis of Barstow.
Bo Harrison and Jacon Letson of SBVC, both products of Redlands East Valley, were honorable mention.
On the women’s side, San Bernardino Valley Coach Sue Crebbin took top coach honors for leading the Wolverines to just their third conference title and the first since 2001.
The first team also included sophomores Simeone Baker, Shy Walter and Jasmine Marshall of SBVC, Christina Warren and Tamesha Jackson of Chaffey, Jallisa Butler of Barstow and Rachel Gordon of Victor Valley.
Mt. San Jacinto’s Michelle Simmons was Most Valuable Player.
Honorable mention selections included La’Quita Jordan of SBVC, Aundria Anderson of Chaffey, Brittney Pham of Barstow and Gennifer Hempel of Victor Valley.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
PALM DESERT - With four Foothill Conference teams tied for first place on the final day of the regular season, it was only appropriate that a game between two of those came down to the last possession.
College of the Desert emerged with a 68-64 win over San Bernardino Valley College Saturday. Playoff pairings will be decided on Monday but the Roadrunners (21-9, 10-4) will likely be the third-seeded team out of the conference behind Antelope Valley (24-10, 10-4) and Mt. San Jacinto (27-6, 10-4).
San Bernardino (13-15, 9-5), which won the conference a year ago, settles for fourth. While as many as five teams have gotten in before, the Wolverines will probably not advance because of their overall record.
The game also probably marked the end of Gerry Wright’s tenure as coach. His master’s degree is in education rather than physical education which the school requires.
“I told them it was a pleasure coaching them and watching them mature as players and men,” Wright said. “I enjoyed my two years year and I am going to miss them.”
The game was tied at 61 with 3:01 left. The Wolverines went ahead 63-61 on a putback by Sylvester Burel with 2:15 left. It was their first lead since 30-29 at 4;14 of the first half.
SBVC made it 64-61 on a free throw by Burel but that would be the last point the visitors scored. Desert’s Julius Lang nailed the first of two free throws with 1:24 left to make it 64-62.
He missed the second but SBVC failed to block out and Desert’s Spencer Dayton grabbed the rebound. The end result was a 3-pointer from the corner by D’Andre James that gave the host team a 65-62 lead with 1:10 to go.
SBVC’s Lewis Leonard, the second-leading scorer in the state, netted 26 in the game but misfired on a long jumper the next trip down the court and Desert grabbed the rebound.
Down 66-64, Johnny Barnes missed a turn-around jumper that would have tied the game, pretty much sealing the visitors fate.
Foul trouble was a factor for the Wolverines as Wright has nine players but uses only seven. Most of the calls went the way of the home team in the opening half which ended with the Roadrunners up 43-33.
In the first 20 minutes 18 personal fouls were called against the Wolverines with 10 against Desert.
The Roadrunners had just seven field goals but went 20-of-23 from the line while SBVC shot 7-of-10 from the stripe.
Desert led by as many as 12 in the second half, that lead coming at 52-40 on a fast break layup Antoine Davis.
“I was proud of our guys. They fought hard and never gave up, even when we had some things working against us,” Wright said.
Lewis also had nine rebounds and two blocks. Barnes added 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Burel was the third player in double figures with 10 points.
The Wolverines went just 4-10 in nonconference play, making a better finish in conference play crucial. Desert coach Henry Viveros had words of praise for the Wolverines despite the defeat.
"It's a shame they had such a tough time early in the season because they're a quality team," he said. "I think they're one of the top 20 teams."
Foothill Conference men’s standings
Mt. San Jacinto 9-4 25-6
Antelope Valley 9-4 23-10
Desert 9-4 20-9
San Bernardino VC 9-4 13-14
Chaffey 7-6 17-12
Rio Hondo 5-8 9-20
Victor Valley 3-10 11-20
Barstow 1-12 3-25
Today’s games
San Bernardino at Desert, 3 p.m.
Barstow at Antelope Valley, 7 p.m.
Rio Hondo at Mt. San Jacinto, 3 p.m.
Chaffey at Victor Valley, 3 p.m.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
San Bernardino Valley College men’s basketball coach Gerry Wright has been stressing a sense of urgency for three weeks now because the Wolverines poor showing in nonconference play didn’t leave room for error when it came to qualifying for the playoffs.
But that phrase has taken on new meaning in the last week. Saturday is the last day of the regular season and the defending champion Wolverines (13-14) are one of four teams tied for first atop the Foothill Conference, all at 9-4.
The others are College of the Desert (20-9), Antelope Valley (23-10) and Mt. San Jacinto (25-6).
SBVC will be at Desert for a 3 p.m. game Saturday while the other two teams face easier finales. Mt. San Jacinto is hosting Rio Hondo (9-20), also at 3 p.m., while Antelope Valley entertains last-place Barstow (3-25) at 7 p.m.
“We have had our backs to the wall for awhile now,” Wright said. “We have had to play likes its a playoff game just to get in this position so this is nothing new for us.”
The 20-team South playoff draw will be announced Monday. Let the jockeying for position begin.
The most likely scenario is that three teams will end up tied. If that happens, all would share conference title honors. Coaches are meeting Sunday to vote on all-conference and coach of the year honors but they also have to submit a ranking of teams in order for consideration by the the executive committee determining the draw.
SBVC is in the most precarious position because of its 4-10 mark in nonconference, with none of those wins coming over a quality foe.
Wright expects the only debate to be over the first seed since Antelope and Mt. San Jacinto split their games. Antelope won one meeting 78-72, Mt. San Jacinto the other 78-75. In the state power rankings Antelope is 12th and Mt. San Jacinto 14th.
The third spot will be decided by the SBVC-Desert head-to-head. The Wolverines won the first meeting 95-88 although Desert beat SBVC 94-89 in a tournament game in December.
It is that close.
“A lot of people say the conference is down this year. I don’t buy that,” said Mt. San Jacinto coach Patrick Springer who is on the executive committee.”Look at how close the competition is between these teams.”
The conference has gotten as many as five teams into the playoffs before but managed just three last year. So the Wolverines need the win today more than Desert does.
Then there’s Chaffey (17-12, 7-6) which will finish fifth no matter what the outcome of its 3 p.m. game at Victor Valley (11-20, 3-10).
The Panthers helped force the logjam by upsetting Mt. San Jacinto in overtime Wednesday. They have also beaten Antelope Valley and have quality nonconference wins over Imperial Valley and Los Angeles Southwest, both first place finishers in their conferences.
But the Panthers can’t make the playoffs unless the other four go too. Coach Jeff Klein’s team slipped up against Rio Hondo a week ago and lost both games to SBVC.
“It would be a shame if we didn’t go because I think we’re a top 20 team,” Klein said. “But if we don’t get it is because there were a couple of games we let get away.”
The other factor that turned the race upside was the reversal of Desert’s forfeiture of 14 games (five in conference). The Roadrunners were dealt the significant penalty on Jan. 25 after an athlete who came out after football was not listed on an eligibililty form for basketball. The school won its appeal earlier this week.
Springer, who played college basketball with Wright at Iowa, said he will fight for all five teams but knows that is asking a lot.
“SBVC and Chaffey are not quite what they have been in the past. But they’re still quality teams,” he said. “I don’t know of anybody that wants to see either of them in the first round.”
With 13 points, Tamesha Jackson led four Panthers in double figures in a 61-49 win over Mt. San Jacinto on Wednesday. With the win the Panthers remained third in the conference with one game left.
Christina Warren and Zipporah Brown each had 12 points for Chaffey (23-7, 11-4 Foothill Conference) and Aundria Anderson had 10.
Sophomore Michelle Simmons led Mt. San Jacinto (20-10, 12-3) with 18 points.
Chaffey plays host to Victor Valley at 1 p.m. Saturday in its regular-season finale.
The win by Chaffey gives the conference title to San Bernardino Valley College which did not play Wednesday. The Wolverines had a one-game lead over Mt. San Jacinto entering play.
LEWIS LEONARD
San Bernardino Valley College
Basketball
The lowdown: The 6-foot-4 sophomore shooting guard is the second-leading scorer in the state (25.5 ppg). Is also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals. Has a high game of 41 points against Desert. Has reached double figures in every game, scoring more than 20 points 19 times and more than 30 seven times. Averaged 12 points and 4.1 rebounds as a freshman, helping the Wolverines to a Foothill Conference championship. High game that season was 28 aainst Antelope Valley.
Age: 20
Hometown: Philadelphia
High school: Frankford High School, 2006
Major: Business
Favorite athlete: Keith Myers (San Bernardino Valley College football player)
Favorite team: Philadelphia 76ers
Role model: Gerry Wright (San Bernardino Valley College head coach)
Can’t miss TV show: Rob and Big (on MTV)
Most memorable sports moment: Winning the Foothill Conference championship last season.
Most embarrassing sports moment: I missed a dunk against Chaffey.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My cousin Maurice Bibbs
Celebrity you most want to meet: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
Favorite food: Chicken and baked mac
Favorite movie: Friday
Last good book you read: The Carolina Way (The Dean Smith book on leadership).
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Meek Millz/Lil Wayne
Other hobbies: Video games, working out
Favorite vacation spot: Los Angeles/Rodeo Drive
Best advice anyone has given you: Play defense and don’t leave any money on the table (Coach Wright)
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Listen to my Ipod and joke around with my teammates.
What would you like to be doing in five years? Playing in the NBA. No question about it!
The Chaffey Panthers posted their biggest win of the season, upending Foothill Conference leader Antelope Valley 72-69 in overtime Wednesday night
The Panthers (17-10, 7-4) had a chance to win the game in regulation but a 3-pointer by freshman Jordan Block rimmed out at the buzzer.
Block finished with 22 points, and 10 rebounds and two steals while Brandon Clemons tallied 14 with six rebounds. Jeffrey Sawyer was also in double figures with 12.
Both teams shot 50.8 percent from the field but Chaffey had an edge at the line, making 12 of 21 tries to 7-of-10 for the Marauders (23-8, 9-2).
The win moves the Panthers into a tie with San Bernardino Valley College for third place.
Ironically, the championship tournament will not be held at any of the District's three campuses. Instead, the state finals will be held at Orange Terrace Park in the community of Orangecrest. The city is in the final stages of building out Orange Terrace Park, which is in the east end of the city. As part of the park buildout, the city is adding two new ball fields, a library and a community center.
So the city and Orangecrest ASA, the largest softball organization in the city of Riverside for youth (5 to 18 years old), will co-host the event.
The state championship tournament will feature the final eight teams-four from the north and four from the south. Mt. San Antonio College is the defending state champions. Riverside head coach Michelle Daddona-Moya, who worked to bring the championship tournament to the city for the fourth time, said Mt. San Antonio and Riverside will play a regular-season game at the park on March 17th at 3:30 pm to help promote the championship tournament to the community.
"Orangecrest ASA is excited about the opportunity to promote, not only the game of softball to our youth, but expose them to the idea of playing college softball," said Tom Reiss, Orangecrest ASA president. "Our board's goal has not only been to provide the girls with recreational opportunities, but also bring entertainment opportunities to the community. And this is that first step."
The state finals is one of three tournaments Orangecrest ASA will be bringing to the community in 2008 at Orange Terrace Park. In June, the City of Riverside and Orangecrest ASA will be hosting the ASA Open Western Regional Tournament and then in July host the ASA Open National Championship Tournament, where as many as 10 former Olympic players will be action.
"The girls in the Orangecrest community are passionate about softball," said Daddona-Moya. "I think this is the first time the coaches' association has decided to take our product to an area with such passion for the game. I think it benefit not only the City of Riverside and Orangecrest ASA, but also the community college game of softball."
By Michelle Gardner
Staf fwriter
The Chaffey women’s basketball team appears fully recovered from a 71-57 shellacking at the hands of San Bernardino Valley College last week. The Panthers (21-6, 9-3) bounced back with a 73-66 win over College of the Desert on Saturday and remain tied for third with Foothill Conference play winding down.
Chaffey has four games remaining - road games at Antelope Valley (15-12, 9-3) and Rio Hondo (15-11, 5-6) and home games against Mt. San Jacinto (19-9, 11-2) and Victor Valley (1-22, 0-11). The Panthers are two games behind frontrunner SBVC and tied with Antelope Valley a game and half behind second-place Mt. San Jacinto.
The Panthers beat three of those four foes in the first round of conference play, the loss coming to Mt. San Jacinto 68-57.
“SBVC is the top team, no question about that,” coach Gary Plunkett said. “After that it is very close. All four of us are going to make the playoffs it is a question of who finishes where. We could be as high as second or we could be fourth. This is a crucial stretch of games.”
The team was going through some adversity in the last two weeks that resulted in the dismissal from the team of one player. It carried over into last week’s game but Plunkett thinks his team is back on track.
“That was probably just the kind of game we needed to get us refocused,” Plunkett said. “We came back Saturday and played a very solid game. We were back to playing Panther basketball.”
The loss to SBVC knocked the Panthers out of the top 20 state poll but they are still ranked No. 12 in the South.
The good news for Plunkett is that the squad includes just two sophomores - guards Christina Warren (13.7 ppg, 5 rpg) and Jessica Thorpe (4.1 ppg).
The team has several talented freshmen, most notably guards Keisha Mackall (12.2 pg, 3.8 apg) and Tamesha Jackson (12.9 ppg, 3.8 apg), forwards Aundria Anderson (10.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Zipporah Brown (5.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
“We’re kind of where SBVC was last year,” Plunkett said. “Last year they had freshmen and all those girls are back and you can see how much better they are with that experience. We’re building that this year.”
SHYNEESE WALTER
San Bernardino Valley College
Basketball
The lowdown: The 5-foot-10 sophomore guard has helped the Wolverines to a 21-5 record and No. 11 state ranking. Is averaging a team-high 11.5 points, 2.2 steals, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists with a season high of 23 points coming against Rio Hondo. Also has a high of nine rebounds (three times), seven assists (vs. Chaffey) and six steals (vs. L.A. Southwest). Has scored in double figures 11 times this season and leads the team in 3-pointers (32). Averaged 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2 steals an 1.9 assists as a freshman.
Age: 19
Hometown: Perris
High school: Perris High School, 2006
Major: Criminal justice
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant
Favorite team: Los Angeles Lakers
Role model: My father
Can’t miss TV show: I Love New York
Most memorable sports moment: Making the game-winning shot.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My parents
Celebrity you most want to meet: Kobe Bryant
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: Love and Basketball
Last good book you read: Who Moved My Cheese?
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Keyshia Cole
Other hobbies: Modeling
Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii
Best advice anyone has given you: Never give up.
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Pray
What would you like to be doing in five years? Playing in the WNBA and taking care of my parents finanial matters.
San Bernardino Valley College is looking for its fourth men’s basketball coach in as many years. The school started advertising the position Jan. 24th so Gerry Wright’s days are winding down.
Wright took over a program in turmoil in December of 2006 and led it to a Foothill Conference title, winning coach of the year honors in the process. The Wolverines started slowly this season but are still in the hunt for a playoff berth currently sitting third.
The sticking point is that the position is full-time based out of the physical education department which requires a master’s degree in that area. Wright, a legendary player in his high school days at San Gorgonio, has a master's degree but it is in education. His experience teaching physical education at all levels is not enough.
“I feel bad because I really care about these kids,” he said. “But I feel like I have done my job. They’re all going to graduate and they have become better players
SBVC athletic director Dave Rubio is frustrated about starting from scratch but thankful for the job Wright did. The closing date for the job is Feb. 28.
“It is frustrating because you want stability,” he said. “You want people in the community to know who you’re coach is. But that’s the criteria and he (Wright) does not quite meet it, although he did do a great job.”
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
The San Bernardino Valley College women’s basketball team is on a roll at just the right time. The Wolverines have won 11 straight games to close in on just their third Foothill Conference title and first since 2001,
The team polished off its two closest pursuers last week, beating Chaffey 71-47 Wednesday and Mt. San Jacinto 63-48 Saturday.
The Wolverines (22-5, 11-1) have a one-game lead over Mt. San Jacinto with four games left but their remaining schedule consists of Victor Valley (1-22, 0-11), Barstow (10-15, 5-7), Rio Hondo (15-11, 5-6) and College of the Desert (6-20, 3-9) while the other three contenders all have games against each other.
Coach Sue Crebbin is still leary of Rio Hondo and Barstow but recognizes her team’s situation.
“It is definitely ours to lose,” she said. “We’re peaking at the right time. We have had people step up and we’re playing just smothering defense.”
Crebbin is rounding our her third year heading the program. The Wolverines turned the corner last year, finishing as conference runner-up and posted a first-round playoff 61-59 upset of Orange Coast. The run ended with a 77-69 loss to another Orange County team, Fullerton.
That was more than the Crebbin expected but this year the bar has been raised.
“We definitely came in here with higher expectations this year,” she said. “All of these girls had been through it before. Last year I still had to sell them on their potential. This year they have the confidence and the experience.”
The only losses from last year’s team where its two post players. This season the Wolverines are more guard-oriented. While they may not have quite the size in the middle, the have done a better job defending because of their speed.
The scoring balanced with just two players averaging double figures - sophomore Shyneese Walter (11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, ) and Jasmine Marshall (10.3 ppg, 4.5 spg, 4 rpg, 3.9 apg). Three others are close - La’Quita Jordan (9.4 ppg, 2.2 spg), Ronisha Edwards (8.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Simeone Baker (8.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
Marshall has been the catalyst while Baker has been the steady go-to player in the paint. Jordan could start for most teams but has embraced her role as the spark plug off the bench.
The basketball teams from Chaffey and San Bernardino Valley College hardly need any additional incentive when they square off tonight at Chaffey. But both games loom large in the Foothill Conference picture.
On the men’s side the teams are tied for second place behind Antelope Valley (22-6, 8-0) and Mt. San Jacinto (22-4, 6-2).
The Wolverines (10-12, 5-3) rely on a solid 1-2 punch in Lewis Leonard (25.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Johnny Barnes (19 ppg, 10.4 rpg) while the Panthers (16-8, 5-3) rely on balance. Four players are averaging double figures led by freshmen guards Winston Robinson (15.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Nick Turner (13.1 ppg).
The women’s race is equally close. Mt. San Jacinto (17-8, 9-1) is a half game up on SBVC (19-5, 81) and a full game up on Chaffey (20-5, 8-2). The game will be key not only in the conference picture but potential playoff seeding as well.
SBVC is ranked 13th in the state and seventh in the South while Chaffey is 20th in the state and 11th in the South.
SBVC won both games on their own floor <WC>earlier this season <WC1>with the men winning 96-93 and women winning 71-57.
Tip off for the women's game is 5 p.m., with the men's game immediately following.
RYAN LARSON
Chaffey College
Swimming
The lowdown: The sophomore earned eight All-American honors last season for the Panthers. He placed second in the state in the 400 IM (4:06.4) and fourth in both the 200 IM (1:54.9) and the 200 back (1:56.3). Those times earned him national rankings of fourth in the 400 IM, sixth in the 200 IM and seventh in the 200 back. He was also 11th in the 100 back which came on the first leg of a relay. He also earned All-American honors as part of the 400 and 800 free relays and the 200 and 400 medley relays in which he swam the butterfly leg.
Age: 19
Hometown: Alta Loma
High school: Alta Loma High School, 2006
Major: Undecided
Most memorable sports moment: Winning the 400 freestyle relay at the CIF Championships my senior year.
Most embarrassing sports moment: The first race I ever swam I was too scared to dive into the pool and my coach ended up pushing me in.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My parents
Last good book you read: Harry Potter
Favorite movie: Transformers
Celebrity you most want to meet: None, they’re all stuck up. They should want to meet me.
What’s in your CD player/iPod: A mix
Favorite vacation spot: The beach
Favorite food: All types
Best advice anyone has given you: Just keep swimming.
Pre-game ritual or superstition: I try to sit by myself
Other hobbies: Skateboarding
What do you want to be doing in five years?: Be finishing school or starting my career.
Compiled by Michelle Gardner
