TheLounge
12-19-2007, 01:33 PM
The College of San Mateo women’s basketball team is off to its best start this decade. The Lady Bulldogs are 8-5 on the young season and just took second in the CSM Invitational.
If there was any question if the Bulldogs can continue their strong play as Coast Conference play looms at the beginning of the New Year, they answered it Saturday in the tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs trailed by 24 points to Santa Monica with 18 minutes left to play. The Bulldogs responded with runs of 12-0 and 17-0 —*the last spurt began with 4:41 left — and culminated with Sela Paini’s shot at the buzzer to give CSM an improbable 73-71 victory.
“It was amazing,” said CSM coach Michelle Warner. “It was one of those thing you see in those sports movies. Santa Monica is no slop show.”
Apparently, neither is CSM. Although the Bulldogs lost to Compton 54-48 in the championship game Sunday, the win Saturday could be the one the team looks back on as the turning point of the season.
“I think this gives them great confidence,” Warner said. “They can compete with anyone.”
Although the Bulldogs’ roster has only eight players, Warner is happy with the eight she has, all of which can play. She said that she’s had bigger rosters in the past, but not all of them could play.
“I don’t look at the number. I look at the talent we have,” Warner said.
The Lady Bulldogs have always featured strong guard play and this year is no different. Hazel Mauk (sophomore, Mills), Nancy Chicas (sophomore, XXXX) and Nadia Yuen (sophomore, Sacred Heart Cathedral) can get up and down the court quickly and can knock down the outside jumper as well as penetrate to the hoop.
Interior play, however, had been the Bulldogs’ Achilles’ heel. This year, it might be a strength. Paini (freshman, St. Francis) took off last season to concentrate on track but has quickly become a threat on the court. The same could be said of Milly Filikitonga (sophomore, San Mateo) and Claudia Tatola (freshman, San Mateo).
What makes the the Bulldogs scary is that fact that a handful of them didn’t even play their senior years in high school or didn’t play last season for CSM. Chicas played for CSM two years ago but took last year off to concentrate on soccer. She’s back for hoops again this year and she hasn’t skipped a beat. Yuen didn’t play her senior year at Cathedral but she returns to the Bulldogs for a second year and is having a career year. She scored 15 against Allan Hancock Friday before going for a career-high 18 Saturday in the comeback win. Tatola was another that didn’t play her final year of high school. She scored a team-high 17 Friday.
More importantly, no one appears to be afraid to be the spark to rally the team. During Saturday’s win over Santa Monica, it was reserve Grace Rhodes that fired up the team during a timeout. It was Rhodes who pointed out their ability to overcome the 24-point deficit was akin to a drill the team runs in practice where they have to score 70 points in four minutes.
“’It’s just like our drill! It’s just like our drill!’ That’ what Grace said in the huddle,” Warner said. “You never know who it’s (that spark) going to come from. Sela, her poor shot was not falling and she took the last shot and it went in.”
And the true mark of a good team? No one appears to be satisfied by their weekend performance. No one looked at losing in the championship game as a moral victory after Saturday night’s thrilling win.
“Not for me,” Warner said. “Coaches always toss and turn (after a loss).”
If the Lady Bulldogs continue their impressive play, maybe all involved will sleep a little easier.
***
CSM isn’t the only community college women’s program experiencing success. The Skyline women are also off to a good start and the Lady Trojans were noticed for their success. Both the Trojans’ starting point and shoot guards were honorable mentions for the month of November by the California Community College Athletics Association Student-Athletes of the Month.
Point guard Maria Colon averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game in November, shooting 40 percent from the field and 89 percent from the free-throw line. Shooting guard Esmeralda Lopez-Rivas averaged 17.1 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals per game in November.
***
The 2007 community college All-American and All-California football teams were announced Monday, as were final state rankings.
CSM’s sophomore offensive lineman Tevita Halaholo (Mills) and sophomore return man Kevion Jones (Tyner Academy, Tenn.) were the only Bulldogs named to the Region I All-California First-Team offense.
Halaholo also earned All-American honors, one of only five offensive lineman.
The CSM football team finished 8-3 and wrapped up its season with a 28-14 win over Diablo Valley in the third-annual Bulldog Bowl and finished the season with a No. 6 ranking in Northern California and a No. 11 ranking in the state.
If there was any question if the Bulldogs can continue their strong play as Coast Conference play looms at the beginning of the New Year, they answered it Saturday in the tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs trailed by 24 points to Santa Monica with 18 minutes left to play. The Bulldogs responded with runs of 12-0 and 17-0 —*the last spurt began with 4:41 left — and culminated with Sela Paini’s shot at the buzzer to give CSM an improbable 73-71 victory.
“It was amazing,” said CSM coach Michelle Warner. “It was one of those thing you see in those sports movies. Santa Monica is no slop show.”
Apparently, neither is CSM. Although the Bulldogs lost to Compton 54-48 in the championship game Sunday, the win Saturday could be the one the team looks back on as the turning point of the season.
“I think this gives them great confidence,” Warner said. “They can compete with anyone.”
Although the Bulldogs’ roster has only eight players, Warner is happy with the eight she has, all of which can play. She said that she’s had bigger rosters in the past, but not all of them could play.
“I don’t look at the number. I look at the talent we have,” Warner said.
The Lady Bulldogs have always featured strong guard play and this year is no different. Hazel Mauk (sophomore, Mills), Nancy Chicas (sophomore, XXXX) and Nadia Yuen (sophomore, Sacred Heart Cathedral) can get up and down the court quickly and can knock down the outside jumper as well as penetrate to the hoop.
Interior play, however, had been the Bulldogs’ Achilles’ heel. This year, it might be a strength. Paini (freshman, St. Francis) took off last season to concentrate on track but has quickly become a threat on the court. The same could be said of Milly Filikitonga (sophomore, San Mateo) and Claudia Tatola (freshman, San Mateo).
What makes the the Bulldogs scary is that fact that a handful of them didn’t even play their senior years in high school or didn’t play last season for CSM. Chicas played for CSM two years ago but took last year off to concentrate on soccer. She’s back for hoops again this year and she hasn’t skipped a beat. Yuen didn’t play her senior year at Cathedral but she returns to the Bulldogs for a second year and is having a career year. She scored 15 against Allan Hancock Friday before going for a career-high 18 Saturday in the comeback win. Tatola was another that didn’t play her final year of high school. She scored a team-high 17 Friday.
More importantly, no one appears to be afraid to be the spark to rally the team. During Saturday’s win over Santa Monica, it was reserve Grace Rhodes that fired up the team during a timeout. It was Rhodes who pointed out their ability to overcome the 24-point deficit was akin to a drill the team runs in practice where they have to score 70 points in four minutes.
“’It’s just like our drill! It’s just like our drill!’ That’ what Grace said in the huddle,” Warner said. “You never know who it’s (that spark) going to come from. Sela, her poor shot was not falling and she took the last shot and it went in.”
And the true mark of a good team? No one appears to be satisfied by their weekend performance. No one looked at losing in the championship game as a moral victory after Saturday night’s thrilling win.
“Not for me,” Warner said. “Coaches always toss and turn (after a loss).”
If the Lady Bulldogs continue their impressive play, maybe all involved will sleep a little easier.
***
CSM isn’t the only community college women’s program experiencing success. The Skyline women are also off to a good start and the Lady Trojans were noticed for their success. Both the Trojans’ starting point and shoot guards were honorable mentions for the month of November by the California Community College Athletics Association Student-Athletes of the Month.
Point guard Maria Colon averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game in November, shooting 40 percent from the field and 89 percent from the free-throw line. Shooting guard Esmeralda Lopez-Rivas averaged 17.1 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals per game in November.
***
The 2007 community college All-American and All-California football teams were announced Monday, as were final state rankings.
CSM’s sophomore offensive lineman Tevita Halaholo (Mills) and sophomore return man Kevion Jones (Tyner Academy, Tenn.) were the only Bulldogs named to the Region I All-California First-Team offense.
Halaholo also earned All-American honors, one of only five offensive lineman.
The CSM football team finished 8-3 and wrapped up its season with a 28-14 win over Diablo Valley in the third-annual Bulldog Bowl and finished the season with a No. 6 ranking in Northern California and a No. 11 ranking in the state.