CSM gears up for tough tourney

The seventh-year College of San Mateo coach elects to take on the toughest competition possible, and this year is no different. The Bulldogs (3-4) play Allan Hancock on Friday at 7 p.m. in the CSM Invitational. Other teams in CSM's bracket include Reedley and Compton, both among the top 25 teams in the state. The other half of the bracket has Feather River, Cabrillo, Santa Maria and Foothill. Of course, in the crazy world that is California Community College hoops, there are benefits for playing against top-notch teams.

"Playing the top teams helps in your power rating at the end of the year," Warner said. "You get points based on your strength of schedule and it helps when it comes time to determining the playoff teams."

When the Bulldogs tip-off on Friday, they will have gone 13 days between games. CSM last played on Dec. 4 in a 63-52 win over Modesto. Krystle Flower had 20 points, Extaci Boccara added 12 and Pachara Arunleung added 10. The three, along with Evangeline Chau, have led the team in scoring, energy and hustle plays. Chau provides steadiness at point guard, while Flower provides toughness in the paint.

Flower, a 6-foot sophomore out of Burlingame, has made a nice comeback after a stress fracture injury limited her to mostly mop-up duty last season. With renewed vigor, strength and a strong work ethic, Flower has emerged as a post-up threat and a dominant force on the glass. She was named to the all-tournament team in the Cosumnes River Tournament in mid-November.

"Krystle has worked her butt off," Warner said. "She dropped 20 pounds, worked on her game and it's really paying off now."

The Bulldogs have more talent and depth compared to last year, but their problems have been a lack of consistency. One game they can closely resemble Coast Conference champions and the next they'll have trouble executing routine plays.

"There are times when we get frustrated, and I think our youth has to do with that a little bit," Warner said. "But we're coming around as a team. Now it's a matter of improving ourselves as the year goes on and sustaining it."

Owl sightings: The Foothill College of Los Altos Hills basketball program has found a pipeline to some of the best players in San Mateo County. On the men's side, former Serra standouts Jonathon Moe and J.J. Cannizzaro are now starring for the Owls (4-5), a team that is heavy on county talent. Ten of Foothill's 16-man roster prepped locally. In Foothill's 79-55 win over Marin on Friday, Moe and Cannizzaro combined for 10 points.

"I know they're doing well and it's always nice to see your former players excelling at the college level," Serra coach Chuck Rapp said.

The Foothill women have rolled to a 9-2 start and No. 6 state ranking, thanks to former Aragon star Stephanie Dere, ex-Burlingame standout Armina Jusufagic and Heather Finlayson of Notre Dame-Belmont. The Owls are traditionally one of the best teams in Northern California, and this may be their best team in recent memory. They advanced to the championship game of the Delta Classic on Saturday, where they dropped a 78-69 decision to arch-rival San Jose City.

Jusufagic had a team-high 18 points, Finlayson added 13 and Dere nine. Dere, Jusufagic and Finlayson have been instrumental in Foothill's fast start, with Dere draining four 3-pointers in the Owls' 67-65 opening round win over Contra Costa. Jusufagic took Most Valuable Player honors in the Shasta Tournament two weeks ago.

Cañada, Skyline update: Matt Lee scored 26 points, but it wasn't enough as the Colts dropped a 69-63 decision to Gavilan on Friday. Paul Phangureh had 16 points in Skyline's 86-55 loss to West Valley. Cañada dropped to 1-8, while Skyline fell to 4-7.