GROSSMONT
Compton clamps down on Griffins for first-round
win
EastCountySports.com
COMPTON -- Too many fouls by visiting Grossmont College
and too much height underneath the basket by the host Compton
College Tartars, led to the demise of the Griffins in Wednesday's
(Feb.23) Southern California Regional play-in contest.
Despite 23 points and 5 rebounds from freshman KAYLA HENRY, the
Griffins (20-7) were overmatched in the paint as Compton
claimed an 84-69 victory.
"We went down fighting," said Grossmont coach KAREN
CAIRES. "That's not what we had in mind as a goal. But I
am proud of this team."
One of the biggest problems for the Griffins was sophomore standout
JESSICA CABLE got into early foul trouble.
With Cable on the bench, Compton took advantage of its 6-foot-3
twin towers to break a 37-37 halftime deadlock to win going away.
"Jess was in foul trouble early in the 1st half," Caires
said. "She was available to us for about half of the first
half and even less than that in the second half."
Without the 5-foot-10 Cable, the Griffins were extremely vulnerable
inside.
"Compton's two big girls scored lay-up after lay-up,"
Caires said. "We just couldn't stop them."
Cable finished her college career with 14 points and 6 rebounds,
while fiery 5-foot-1 point guard HEATHER THOMAS netted 12 points
and somehow garnered 5 rebounds.
Freshman LAURA FELICE landed a trio of 3-pointers and TASHANA
HOWELL muscled in 8 points before an injury caused her to leave
in an ambulance with a probable concussion.
Tashana was injured on a hustle play," Caires said. "She
was going after an offensive rebound and got knocked down, hitting
her head."
Grossmont went six minutes without scoring in the second half
and finished on the losing end.
On the positive side the Griffins were making their first post-season
appearance since 1996.
"We plan to be back next year," Caires said.
Kayla Henry (22)
scored 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Griffins
to a 61-55 victory over visiting Palomar College. Heather
Thomas (30) at left. (2-19-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)
Cable, Henry, Hoyt, Ash get tabbed all-PCC
picks
EastCountySports.com
ALL-PACIFIC COAST
CONFERENCE
EL CAJON -- Grossmont College sophomore forward JESSICA
CABLE (El Capitan), who helped the Griffins qualify for the
SoCal Regional playoffs for the first time since 1996, was named
to the All-Pacific Coast Conference first team for the second
straight season. She is joined on the 10-player first team as
selected by the conference's six head coaches, by freshman KAYLA
HENRY (Mount Miguel).
While proud that Cable and Henry received honors due them, Grossmont
third-year head coach KAREN CAIRES was somewhat surprised
if not unhappy that her freshman point guard, HEATHER THOMAS
(Santana), was snubbed in the voting. Thomas had to settle
for honorable mention.
Cuyamaca guard AMY HOYT (Granite Hills) was selected to
the first team as was San Diego Mesa's COURTNEY ASH (Santana)
also received first-team recognition.
Other Griffins receiving honorable mention were TASHANA HOWELL
(Monte Vista), MARLA MASON and LA QUEENA SHENAULT.
East County was also represented by honorable mention picks ADRIANA
MALONE (Valhalla) and AMANDA McCURDY (Granite Hills)
of Cuyamaca; Southwestern's SHALIA BOHANNON (Monte Vista);
and Mesa's IJLAL BARNES (Mount Miguel) and MARGEAUX
BASS (Santana).
(02-21-05)
2004-05 ALL-PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM NAME COLLEGE HT YR POS. Jessica Cable Grossmont 5-10 So. F Kayla Henry Grossmont 5-10 Fr. F Amy Hoyt Cuyamaca 5-6 Fr. G Courtney Ash San Diego Mesa 5-7 Fr. G J'ness Flowers San Diego Mesa 5-11 Fr. F Kacie Kostian Palomar 5-9 So. F Clarivel Morales Palomar 5-6 Fr. G Erica Gordian Imperial Valley 6-1 So. F Ivy Smith Imperial Valley 5-6 Fr. G Whitney Williams Imperial Valley 5-6 Fr. G
PCC CHAMPIONS: Imperial
Valley
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Erica Gordian, Imperial Valley
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jill Tucker, Imperial Valley
HONORABLE MENTION:
GROSSMONT: Tashana Howell (Fr.), Marla Mason (Fr.), LaQueena
Shenault (So.), Heather Thomas (Fr.).
CUYAMACA: Adriana Malone (Fr.), Amanda McCurdy (Fr.,) Monique
Ross (Fr.).
IMPERIAL VALLEY: Rhea Deal (Fr.), Denice Rios (So.).
PALOMAR: Caitlin Haley (Fr.), Emily Koepke (So.), Fernada
Morales (Fr.), Jackie Witt (Fr.).
SAN DIEGO MESA: Ijlal Barnes (So.), Margeaux Bass (Fr.),
Bobbie Waldon (So.).
SOUTHWESTERN: Andrea Aguilar (Fr.), Shalia Bohannon (Fr.),
Leyondra Guion (Fr.), Sonfre Roberson (So.)
Grossmont College's Jessica Cable (44) grabs a rebound during the Griffins 61-55 win over Palomar College Saturday night. Heather Thomas (30) provides support. (2-19-05/Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)
Griffs make playoffs at Palomar's expense
EastCountySports.com
(Modified) EL CAJON -- The pre-game festivities may have featured sophomores JESSICA CABLE and LaQUEENA SHENAULT, who both played important parts in Saturday's (Feb. 19) regular-season finale. But the key to Grossmont College's comeback from an early deficit was center KAYLA HENRY, who tallied game-highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds in powering the Griffins to a 61-55 triumph over visiting Palomar. The effort would eventually lead to Grossmont's first post-season playoff berth since 1996.
"I will miss Jess -- all of us will," noted Henry, who placed the finishing touches on the Pacific Coast Conference shooting percentage title after hitting 11-of-17 shots from the floor. "And I'm proud of all the players who made this a winning team."
The victory gives Grossmont its first 20-win season since 1983 when the Griffins finished 22-3. They were rewarded for their fine finish Monday (Feb. 21) when they received a berth in the Southern California Regional playoffs. They gained the nod over Palomar despite ranking No. 20 and behind the Comets in the latest power rankings. Grossmont's trump card was its two-game season sweep over the Comets. The Griffins also placed a healthy three games ahead of Palomar in the PCC standings.
Only 18 Southland teams advance, the Griffins gaining the final spot and a play-in game Wednesday (Feb. 23) at Compton College. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
It looked like anything but a smooth ride in the opening minutes Saturday, when the Comets staked claim to an early 12-2 lead. Grossmont head coach KAREN CAIRES made some slight alterations to the offense, allowing the team to move in front, 27-25, as a Henry layin beat the buzzer. HEATHER THOMAS, who scored eight points, garnered one of her game-best six assists on the play.
"We've come to the point in the season when we know we won't be out of a game," noted Cable, who scored 11 points and keyed the defense with six steals. "We overcame, just like we have all season."
Henry scored virtually all of the key baskets in the second half, including scoring 10 consecutive points during a 12-0 Grossmont run to put the contest out of reach.
After sticking a short jumper to tie the game at 35-all, Henry stole the ball in the paint under the Grossmont basket, then filled the lane on the fastbreak, with ALANNA BARNES making the nice bounce pass for a Henry layin with 13:40 remaining.
On the next two Grossmont possessions, Henry scored consecutive layins off solid passes by Thomas, including one when the center jumped and spun nearly 360-degrees to flip the ball into the basket. Both Henry buckets resulted in 3-point giving Grossmont a 45-37 advantage, with the lead later reaching 57-44 with 3:19 left -- a 23-point turnaround to give the Griffins a second-place finish in the conference.
"They were doing some different things on defense, so we were a little slow in getting going," noted Caires. "But we made some adjustments and were then able to find Kayla all night."
And when Grossmont switched to a 1-3-1 zone, Palomar suddenly stopped scoring, being held to just a single basket over a 7:55 span.
Shenault finished with seven points, including 4-for-4 shooting from the foul line, then aided the defense with a pair of steals and taking a charge to force one of 24 Comets turnovers. Meanwhile, Grossmont gave the ball away just 18 times, including a mere seven in the first half.
The Comets (14-13 overall, 5-5 PCC) received 17 points from off the bench by Clarivel Morales, while Kacie Kostlan registered 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 25 (13 rebounds), Jessica Cable 11 (6 steals), Heather Thomas 8 (6 assists), LaQueena Shenault 7, Tashana Howell 7 (4 steals), Laura Felice 3.
(02-19-05/Modfied 2/21/05))
Griffins hammer Coyotes again to get ready
for playoffs
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO -- Following Wednesday's
(Feb. 16) annual waltz past their district rivals, attention
was focused on the playoff possibilities for the Grossmont College
women's basketball team, which glided past host Cuyamaca College,
67-34.
"It's all about RPI (Rating Power Index)," explained
Griffins coach KAREN CAIRES. "You get that strange, little
feeling in your stomach just thinking about it, because you never
know where they might put you."
The COA utilizes five criteria to determine the seedings, which
will include 18 schools from Southern California. The regular
season concludes Saturday (Feb. 19), with the postseason committee
meeting set for the following morning. Already, teams are scrambling
for positions.
Thus, Saturday's finale for the Griffins could be key when they
entertain Palomar at 7 p.m. Even though Grossmont has second
place locked-up in the Pacific Coast Conference, the third-place
Comets -- by a mere .001 points -- own a higher RPI than the
Griffins entering this week's action.
"Every game is a big game this time of year," added
Caires. "But we try to use a 'snapshot' philosophy and simply
try to capture the next game ahead for us."
Despite a churning stomach, the Griffins invitation seems strong.
However, should they be left out of the postseason party for
some reason, they would become the first team in the state since
1978 not to advance to the regional playoffs following a 19-win
season -- not likely, but you never know.
"That's why the game with Palomar is so important,"
Caires noted. "Obviously, we want to continue to play well."
One major aim for Grossmont is to cut down on turnovers, something
the Griffins did successfully in downing the Coyotes. The Griffins
lost the ball just 15 times, including a mere five losses in
the second half, as the team scored the first 16 points following
intermission to coast to the victory.
Forward JESSICA CABLE powered the offense with 19 points, while
also registering three steals and a trio of assists, while center
KAYLA HENRY posted 16 points and twice performed the Maca Smack-a
by rejecting a pair of Coyote shots.
Leading 31-14 at the half, Grossmont drained 7-of-9 shots from
the floor to pull away. Included were a pair of buckets by reserve
center AMIE LEACH, who nailed a hook shot in the paint, then
scooped home a left-hander for her four points.
Point guard HEATHER THOMAS later added the finishing touches
on a fast break with a behind-the-back pass to TASHANA HOWELL
for an easy layin, part of her 8 points.
Also in the backcourt, LaQUEENA SHENAULT posted 8 points and
3 assists, while the team welcomed the return of MARLA MASON
(ankle), who recorded a quick steal in her first action in two
weeks.
Grossmont scoring: Jessica Cable 19, Kayla Henry 16, Tashana
Howell 8, LaQueena Shenault 8, Amie Leach 4, Laura Felice 4,
Mayuko Saito 2, Lindsay Felice 2, Marla Mason 2, Heather Thomas
2.
Cuyamaca scoring: Adriana Malone 14, Monique Ross 6, Amanda McCurdy
6, Keisha Bland 6, Yuko Terao 2.
(02-16-05)
Griffins have county's best record, going
to playoffs
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Buoyed by 21 points each from KAYLA HENRY
and JESSICA CABLE, Grossmont College not only claimed
the best community college women's basketball record in San Diego
County this season, they also earned a trip to the COA playoffs
after vanquishing visiting San Diego Mesa College, 67-50, Saturday
(Feb. 12) at the G-House.
The Griffins shot 50 percent or better in each half, utilizing
an inside-outside approach.
Henry, the freshman center from Mount Miguel, slashed across
the lane throughout the contest, sinking shots from the paint
against taller defenders all night on 9-for-14 shooting. She
also recorded 7 rebounds and a season-best 5 assists.
Meanwhile, Cable stepped out and sank 4 consecutive 3-balls in
the first half, expanding the Grossmont lead to as many as 13
points prior to intermission. Cable was also on track to a rare
triple-double, finishing with 7 rebounds and 8 steals in her
highest scoring effort since registering 25 points in the previous
meeting with Mesa.
HEATHER THOMAS then added the finishing touches with a near-flawless
second-half outing while playing against a pair of her high school
teammates. Thomas collected all 10 of her points after the break,
including the game-clinching steal for a breakaway layin with
3:27 remaining. The point guard also did not turn the ball over
in the final 20 minutes, while Mesa's ball-handlers combined
for 15 turnovers.
The Olympians made a brief run after J'Ness Flowers sank a pair
of jumpers early in the second half. However, Grossmont answered
with a 10-0 run, as Thomas sank a 3-ball, Henry scored on a putback
after grabbing one of the Griffins' 17 offensive rebounds, then
AMIE LEACH took a Henry feed for a layin.
The Grossmont defense also took the spotlight, forcing 38 turnovers
from Mesa, including taking-the-charge three times, including
Cable sacrificing her body twice by holding her ground in the
lane.
The best Mesa received was 14 points from former Santana guard
COURTNEY ASH. Another former Sultan, MARGEAUX BASS,
was limited to just 2 points and 3 assists while committing 10
turnovers thanks to solid defense from LaQUEENA SHENAULT,
ALANNA BARNES and Thomas.
Barring a complete collapse by PCC leading Imperial Valley, Grossmont
clinched second place in the conference race and will advance
to the COA playoffs. The Griffins close the season with a pair
of games next week, traveling to district rival Cuyamaca on Wednesday
(Feb. 16), then hosting Palomar in the regular-season finale
next Saturday.
Grossmont scoring: Jessica Cable 21 (7 rebounds, 8 steals, 4
assists), Kayla Henry 21 (7 rebounds, 5 assists), Heather Thomas
10 (6 assists), LaQueena Shenault 8, Amie Leach 4, Tashana Howell
3.
(02-12-05)
The night the lights went
out on Grossmont
EastCountySports.com
IMPERIAL -- The lights went out on the conference champion aspirations
of the Grossmont College women's basketball team. Enduring three
delays due to power failures on the campus of Imperial Valley
College, the Arabs were still able to shine and all-but-mathematically
eliminate the Griffins after posting a 69-59 decision Wednesday
(Feb. 9) at the DePaoli Athletics Center.
Four Griffins scored in double figures, including double-doubles
by KAYLA HENRY (16 points, 14 rebounds) and JESSICA
CABLE (15 pts., 11 boards), but they couldn't find a way
to slow the scoring punch from Pacific Coast Conference scoring
leaders Ivy Smith and Erica Gordian.
Smith, who averages a PCC best 21.3 points per contest, shot
10-for-15 from the floor en route to a 22-point outing. Meanwhile,
Gordian (20.4 average) collected a game-high 27 points and 11
rebounds.
While the Arabs elected to play with basically only six of their
11 listed players, the team showed signs of tiring after mounting
a 55-43 lead with 6:10 remaining. So IVC decided to save energy
by switching to zone defense, and the Griffins took heavy advantage.
LaQUEENA SHENAULT took a pass from Cable for a short jumper,
then Cable sank a 3-ball, as Grossmont begin to take aim from
beyond the arc. LAURA FELICE also added a quartet of 3-balls
in the second half.
However, Gordian, the center, surprised Grossmont by also launching
a successful 3-ball, helping IVC shoot the lights out down the
stretch with easy shots after beating the Griffins⤙
press.
Despite the setback, Grossmont (17-6 overall, 5-2 PCC) all but
clinched second place in PCC play after Palomar upended Mesa,
71-60, as the two teams joined Southwestern in a 3-way tie for
third place at 3-4. Imperial Valley, ranked 14th in the Southland
and entering the contest one slot below Grossmont, moves to 7-0
in conference, 15-9 overall.
Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 16, Jessica Cable 15, Laura Felice
12, Heather Thomas 10 (7 assists), Tashana Howell 4, LaQueena
Shenault 2.
(02-09-05)
Rare triple-double fails to stop Griffins
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Southwestern College center
Karla Medina registered a rare triple-double, collecting 15 points,
19 rebounds and 10 steals, but it still wasn't enough to offset
a near-record shooting performance by Grossmont center KAYLA
HENRY. The Griffins' freshman from Mount Miguel buried 13-of-17
shots, including 9 straight in one stretch, powering the Griffins
to a 68-62 Pacific Coast Conference decision over the visiting
Jaguars Saturday (Feb. 5).
Despite the victory, Grossmont (17-5, 5-1) remained a notch behind
front-running Imperial Valley (14-9, 6-0), which avoided an upset
bid by Palomar on Saturday. Grossmont and IVC tangle in the desert
on Wednesday (Feb. 9) at 5 p.m.
While Henry rolled up the points on excellent entry passes from JESSICA CABLE (8 assists), it was her defense which capped the victory. This Grossmont team is the only the 7th Griffins squad to win as many as 17 games. The school record is a 23-4 mark compiled by JOYCE SAKE's 1977 team. Sake's 1983 crew was 22-3.
Southwestern trimmed a 12-point deficit
down to three in the final minute, 65-62 with 40 seconds left,
then got the ball back when Medina completed her triple-double
with a steal. However, Jaguars scoring leader Andrea Aguilar
(16 points) forced the ball inside by driving to the basket,
only to find Henry standing in her path, taking the charge to
force the offensive foul.
HEATHER THOMAS (10 points) and LaQUEENA SHENAULT (5
points) then combined to hit 3-of-4 foul shots in the final seconds
to clinch the victory.
TASHANA HOWELL added a double-double for the Griffins, getting
10 points and 10 boards to help offset Medina's effort.
"She actually was kind of weak, but she gave us trouble,
too," noted Howell. "But we practiced all week for
this, and now we get to play the big game for first place."
Howell missed one game after twisting her ankle 10 days ago,
but a bye date and a game against the conference's last-place
team gave the freshman from Monte Vista time to mend. Howell
also aided the defense by taking a charge, while also helping
the offense by matching Thomas with four assists.
Following a 3-ball by Alma Galvan (12 points) to give the Jags
a 25-24 lead, Grossmont closed the final four minutes of the
first half on a 9-2 run, including a rebound basket from AMIE
LEACH (7 points). Cable then hit Henry with a bounce pass
for a layin at the buzzer.
Southwestern (9-12, 2-4) got even at 37-all. Grossmont went on
another big run of 16-4, capped by a Cable steal leading to a
Thomas 3-ball, plus a putback by Leach.
Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 27, Tashana Howell 10, Heather
Thomas 10, Jesscia Cable 9, Amie Leach 7, LaQueena Shenault 5.
(02-05-05)
Henry's double-double powers Griffs past
Comets
East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS - The host Palomar College Comets had no answer for
Grossmont College's KAYLA HENRY in Saturday's (Jan. 29)
Pacific Coast Conference contest. The 5-foot-10 freshman dominated
the Comets to the tune of 25 points and 10 rebounds, helping
guide the Griffins to a 53-47 victory.
Only six Grossmont teams have won more games than this year's
Griffins, who improved to 16-5 overall and maintained their grip
on second place in the PCC at 4-1.
"It was a hard-fought battle, lots of lead changes,"
said Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES. "Our defense was
the key to the game. We continually wanted to put and keep the
pressure on them."
JESSICA CABLE led Grossmont's supporting cast with 13
points and 13 rebounds. The sophomore out of El Capitan nailed
9 of 10 free throws.
"We moved the ball well in the second half and made all
the plays down the stretch," said Caires. "I'm happy
with where the team is now. We are playing with a lot of cohesiveness
and confidence."
TASHANA HOWELL reeled in 10 rebounds and tossed in 9 points
for Grossmont. The freshman out of Monte Vista also accounted
for the Griffins' only two 3-pointers.
Caires' crew had to rally at Palomar, as the Comets were clinging
to a 29-25 halftime edge. The Griffins limited the Comets to
18 points in the second half to secure the victory that concluded
the first round of conference play.
"We are just low on numbers, just seven players," said
Palomar coach ROGER MOSES, who spent five seasons as Grossmont
College's head women's basketball coach. "With only seven
players, that doesn't give us much operating space. We had no
answer for Henry."
Palomar did make a late charge, but Cable went 6 for 6 on free
throws in the last two minutes to keep Grossmont on control.
The Griffins take Wednesday (Feb. 2) off before resuming PCC
activity on Saturday (Feb. 5) hosting Southwestern at 5 p.m.
Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 25, Jessica Cable 13, Tashana
Howell 9, LaQueena Shenault 3, Laura Felice 3.
(01-29-05)
Griffins lose more than they win
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Struggling Cuyamaca College never expected any favors
from district rival Grossmont in the teams' first Pacific Coast
Conference meeting of the season. But the Griffins may have suffered
a bigger loss after whipping the visiting Coyotes, 69-32, in
Wednesday's (Jan. 26) match-up.
Four minutes into the second half, starting guard MARLA MASON
was off on a breakaway layin following a midcourt steal. However,
the missed shot was the least of Grossmont's concern when Mason
was down on her stomach in obvious pain. According to school
officials, her ankle swelled severely and she was taken to an
area hospital for precautionary X-rays.
The mishap cast a somber mood in what was one of the few easy
wins of the season for the Griffins (15-5, 3-1), who remain a
full game behind Imperial Valley at the midway point of the PCC
slate.
Backed by another double-double by forward JESSICA CABLE,
Grossmont ran off the game's first 17 points before Cuyamaca
(1-16, 0-4) could respond with a 3-ball by ADRIANA MALONE
8:07 into the contest -- the Coyotes' lone basket over the entire
first half.
Meanwhile, Grossmont finished by hitting exactly 50 percent (26-for-52)
from the floor, as Cable posted team-highs of 15 points and 10
rebounds, while Malone scored 19 of her 22 points in the second
half.
The Grossmont bench also saw plenty of playing time, as reserve
center AMIE LEACH scored 7 and grabbed 6 boards. Also
scoring in double figures were LaQUEENA SHENAULT (13 points)
and KAYLA HENRY (12).
Meanwhile, Malone was the lone Coyote to find the basket from
the floor, as the rest of her teammates could only score from
the foul line. AMY HOYT, who scored 27 last week against
Southwestern, was limited to 8-for-9 shooting from the line,
missing all 18 of her shots from the field.
The Griffins powered to a 41-6 lead at
the half, matching the county record for fewest points allowed
in a half, equaling the 1985 mark when MiraCosta could only muster
two buckets and a pair of free throws.
Grossmont scoring: Jessica Cable 15, LaQuenna Shenault 13, Kayla
Henry 12, Heather Thomas 9, Marla Mason 8, Amie Leach 7, Lindsay
Felice 3, Alanna Barnes 2.
Cuyamaca scoring: Adriana Malone 22, Amy Hoyt 8, Amanda McCurdy
1, Monique Ross 1.
(01-26-05)
Advantage Grossmont in re-birth
of rivalry
East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA -- In a contest reminiscent of the days when both
schools played a spring schedule in the original South Coast
Conference, the rivalry between Grossmont and Mesa has been rekindled,
especially since players from both school districts dot each
team's roster.
Thus, players which were teammates in high school were now knocking
heads, making not only for a passion-packed match-up, but a battle
for the inside track to take on Imperial Valley for the Pacific
Coast Conference lead.
Give the first round to Grossmont.
Following a lackluster first half which saw the Griffins turn
the ball over 18 times, Grossmont roared back to shoot 68 percent
from the floor over the final 20 minutes after finally solving
the Mesa trap, outscoring the Olympians 22-11 to close out an
emotional 67-61 decision.
Forward JESSICA CABLE propelled Grossmont with 24 points
and a career-high 17 rebounds, while point guard HEATHER THOMAS
tallied a career-best 16 points, her highest total at any level
of basketball.
"It was intense because everyone knows each other and played
with each other," explained Thomas. "It definitely
was an East County rivalry."
While Thomas, a Santana High product, was wearing green, former
Sultans MARGEAUX BASS and COURTNEY ASH were attired
in Mesa blue, courtesy of another former Sultan -- KATHY BASS
-- who now is an assistant for the Olympians. In addition, Grossmont
forward KAYLA HENRY found herself matched against former
Mount Miguel teammate IJLAL BARNES along the front line.
In both cases, the scoring advantage went the way of the Griffins.
"We didn't let their press effect us," noted Cable,
who scored 15 of her points in the second half, including the
first five of a 9-0 Grossmont run to grab the lead for keeps.
"We didn't let them get into our heads, then we played them
tough."
Mesa's rebounding advantage provided for an array of second-chance
scores in the first half to build a 7-point lead, then Grossmont
forced several passes to provide transition baskets.
However, with smarter passing, the Griffins evaded Mesa's half-court
trap, then took the ball straight to the basket. Included were
drives from half-court by nearly every player with significant
minutes, including LaQUEENA SHENAULT, MARLA MASON and
TASHANA HOWELL, finding room to slash through the defense
after spreading the court.
"Everyone wasn't playing with confidence when we lost to
Imperial Valley," added Thomas. "I know I wasn't shooting
with the confidence I need, but I wasn't about to let that happen
here."
Meanwhile, the Griffins reversed their results on the boards
in the second half, holding a 23-15 advantage.
Ash, who scored 12 points, gave Mesa a 45-43 lead with 12:06
remaining, extending the margin to 50-45 over the next two minutes.
Grossmont finally countered with different tactics to beat the
press or half-court trap which Mesa alternated, to get the ball
to the basket.
Cable started the streak with a 3-ball when a kick-out pass in
the corner allowed for a wide-open shot, Thomas got an offensive
rebound and dropped an 8-foot putback, then a layin derby started
which saw the team make 15-of-22 shots after the intermission.
The run included a dribble drive by Shenault from the centerline,
as no Mesa defender attempted to stop her, forcing the bench
to call a timeout.
Grossmont (14-5, 2-1) then downed 5-of-7 foul shots to lock up
the triumph to remain one game behind IVC in the standings, while
Mesa fell to 13-9, 1-2.
Grossmont scoring: Jessica Cable 24, Heather Thomas 16, Kayla
Henry 8, Tashana Howell 8, Marla Mason 4, LaQueena Shenault 4,
Amie Leach 2.
Imperial Valley's 'old school' play crosses
up Grossmont's game
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Unorthodox guard Ivy Smith converted 11-of-15 shots
from the floor for a game-high 26 points Wednesday (Jan. 19),
giving Imperial Valley College the inside track to the Pacific
Coast Conference women's basketball title after downing host
Grossmont, 61-53, in an early battle among league leaders.
Smith, who released at least half of her shots from below her
shoulders in a two-handed, set shot motion, still launched her
attempts quickly enough without getting blocked. Then she nailed
her first five shots of the second half, while backcourt mate
Whitney Williams poured in 15 points to prevent a Griffins rally.
"You have to give the IVC guards credit," said Grossmont
coach KAREN CAIRES. "They controlled the tempo and
took the ball to the basket."
A seven-minute lapse in the early going saw Grossmont fall behind
23-10, with the Arabs' advantage staying between 7-to-15 points
the rest of the way, as the Griffins offense remained inconsistent
due to 29 turnovers.
"We have to control our unforced turnovers," added
Caires. "And KAYLA HENRY picking-up three fouls was
pivotal."
Henry was ticketed with her third foul with 7:55 left in the
half, allowing IVC (10-9, 2-0) to mount a 37-24 halftime lead.
Upon her return, Henry nailed six straight shots as part of her
team-high 18 points, but her fourth foul stymied Grossmont after
cutting the deficit to 43-36.
"We're now ready to keep getting better," added the
coach. "But it was a hard one to lose."
Following just two conference games, Imperial Valley is the lone
undefeated team, four teams at 1-1 after Palomar upset Mesa,
58-54, joining Grossmont (13-5 overall) and Southwestern at 1-1.
JESSICA CABLE scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half,
completing yet another double-double after registering 10 rebounds.
However, the Grossmont backcourt combined for just 13 points.
Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 18, Jessica Cable 16, Laura
Felice 5, Marla Mason 5, Tashana Howell 4, Heather Thomas 3,
Amie Leach 2.
(01-19-05)
Griffins overcome early deficit to chalk
up win over Southwestern
East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA - Although they stumbled out of the gate in Saturday's
(Jan. 15) Pacific Coast Conference opener at Southwestern College,
the Grossmont Griffins turned up the heat in the second half
to notch a 65-52 victory. It was the 6th win in the last seven
starts for the Griffins (13-4, 1-0), who are ranked No. 14 in
Southern California.
Southwestern (7-9, 0-1) sailed out to a 12-5 advantage in the
early going.
"My assistant coach LENNY SCHLEIN wanted me to call
a time out at that point, but I decided not to," Grossmont
coach KAREN CAIRES said. "We were flat, just going
through the motions at the start. I might have called a time
out if we were seven down against some teams if I thought things
were going to get out of hand. But I had confidence our girls
would get it going."
The Griffins led by five at intermission, but didn' shift into
high gear until the second half.
"After halftime we took off," said Grossmont sophomore
JESSICA CABLE, who finished with 17 points. "We were
swinging the ball and hitting the open girl."
Cable was credited with some nifty "o-look" passes.
"Actually, I was more defensive-minded today," Cable
said. "Offense just came with it. And because we were playing
a smaller team, our post players (as is she) got a lot more looks."
KAYLA HENRY, who also plays the post, drilled in 21 points
to pace Grossmont. LaQUEENA SHENAULT added 8 points, LAURA
FELICE netted 6 and MARLA MASON tossed in 5 for the
Griffins.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," Cable said. "It's
been like that all season. We are more of a team this year. Not
so much one-on-one stuff like last year. Unlike last year where
we were very sloppy, this season we much more organized. We have
girls from successful high school programs who know how to win."
Other Grossmont scoring: Amie Leach 4, Heather Thomas 2.
(01-15-05)
Ranked Griffins overcome halftime deficit
to take down East L.A.
East County Sports.com
LOS ANGELES - Grossmont College, which is ranked No. 14 in Southern
California, overcame a 37-32 halftime deficit Saturday (Jan.
8) to defeat host East Los Angeles College 75-67.
Freshman KAYLA HENRY nailed a game-high 25 points to lead the
Griffins (12-4) to their fifth win in six starts. JESSICA CABLE
chipped in 14 points and LAURA FELICE tossed in a dozen.
Felice was 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
"I guess it's been a pretty long time since a Grossmont
women's team has been ranked 14th ," Griffins coach KAREN
CAIRES pondered. "We've received some votes for the (State's)
Top 20, too. But we're not there yet."
Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 25, Jessica Cable 14, Laura Felice
12, Marla Mason 7, Tashana Howell 7, LaQueena Shenault 6, Heather
Thomas 2, Amie Leach 2.
The Griffins, who boast the best preseason record of the six
Pacific Coast Conference teams, open PCC activity Saturday (Jan.
15) at Southwestern College in Chula Vista. Tip off is 7 p.m.
(01-08-05)
Thomas gets chances from outside to bury
Feather River
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Resolute in its approach to stop the strength of
Grossmont College, visiting Feather River College pre-determined
it would attempt to overload guarding the Griffins' forwards,
forcing the backcourt to produce on offense.
Step up Griffins point guard HEATHER THOMAS.
The freshman from Santana High nailed 6-of-9 shots, mostly from
long distance which included a trio of 3-balls for a game-high
15 points, powering Grossmont (11-4) to Thursday (Jan. 5) night's
63-29 decision over the Golden Eagles.
"They would double- and triple-down on the forwards,"
noted Thomas, who also ranked a co-leader in assists. "But
it wasn't a good preparation game for East L.A."
The Golden Eagles strategy proved effective for about 10 minutes,
as Grossmont forced the ball inside in vain, falling for the
trap.
"We were trying to force the ball inside when it wasn't
open," added the point guard. "We were throwing the
ball to a spot, not a player."
So Thomas decided to force her defenders to extend by shooting.
And when they didn't, she nailed two long jumpers to key a late,
first-half run, as Grossmont turned a 12-all nail-biter into
a 27-13 halftime lead. Thomas later added four straight shots
in the second half, including a pair of layins on backdoor cuts
off nice passes by forward JESSICA CABLE.
Meanwhile, the rest of the backcourt starters combined to his
6-of-11 shots from outside, as MARLA MASON collected eight points
and six steals, while LaQUEENEA SHENAULT added four points.
"The guards stepped up and did a great job," said Grossmont
coach KAREN CAIRES. "They moved the ball, they reversed
the ball well, and we had better rebounding, especially in the
second half."
Cable did most of the work inside, finishing with 14 points and
14 boards. She also matched Thomas and Mason with four assists,
as strong Griffins passing led to 20 team assists.
TASHANA HOWELL helped break the game open in the second half,
when she collected the majority of her 11 points and seven rebounds.
Grossmont's slow start may be a deterrent when the team travels
on Saturday (Jan. 8) to Monterrey Park for a rematch against
East L.A., a team which plays a similar style as Feather River
in defeating the Griffins three weeks ago at the Golden West
Tournament. Pacific Coast Conference play opens next Saturday
(Jan. 15) with a road game at Southwestern, 7 p.m. start.
Feather River (1-11), located north of Lake Tahoe in Quincy,
Calif., was led by Becca Rickert, who scored 12 points. In the
other game of the North-South doubleheader, Grossmont hosted
a wild affair between 9th-ranked Lassen and Imperial Valley,
as the Cougars (14-4) nipped the Arabs (8-9), Grossmont's PCC
rivals, 75-73.
Other Grossmont scoring: Kayla Henry 7, Amie Leach 4.
PCC Notes: GC forward KAYLA HENRY, who recorded seven points,
five boards and five steals against Feather River, was tabbed
the conference player of the week. Last week, Henry was an all-tournament
selection at the San Diego Realty Classic hosted by Grossmont
College, as the Griffins finished second to Saddleback.
(01-06-05/Modified 01-07-05)
Saddleback's Andrews helps lead team to
championship against Griffs
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Saddleback College, which boasts four former San
Diego County high school products among its starting lineup,
certainly seemed to enjoy its homecoming.
After entering with a 2-5 overall record, the Gauchos completed
a three-game sweep to the Grossmont/San Diego Realty Classic,
including Thursday's (Dec.30) championship game victory over
host Grossmont College, 63-46. Hot-shooting forward Carly Andrews
was tabbed the event's most valuable player after scoring 31
points, hitting 9-of-13 shots from the floor, then preventing
a Griffins comeback by sinking all but one of her 12 foul shots
to claim thee award by unanimous vote.
"They're a good team and just came out and beat us,"
said Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES, who saw her team's 3-game
winning streak snapped. "They played solid defense and never
gave us a chance to comeback."
Backed by Andrews' shooting, the Gauchos hit 62 percent from
the floor in the first half to build a 32-19 advantage. Conversely,
Grossmont (10-4) never got going early, connecting on just 8-of-27
shots (29.6 percent), despite team highs of 16 points and 8 rebounds
from forward JESSICA CABLE.
Cable was named to the all-tournament squad, along with teammate
KAYLA HENRY, who posted 13 points. Other honorees included: Amanda
Shaw of Saddleback; Nicole Goss, third-place Bakersfield; and
Lauren DeCoud, consolation titlist Compton.
Shaw, who prepped at Rancho Buena Vista, recorded 10 points and
six assists for the Gauchos, while the Mercado twins -- Nikki
and Sarah -- of Vista High helped in upsetting the Griffins'
offense. The other San Diego player now playing in the OC is
forward Alisha Bell (Castle Park), who scored 14 points.
Grossmont received a strong showing from guard HEATHER THOMAS,
who scored 12 points, passed for 7 assists, and also battled
inside to grab four rebounds. However, the Griffins only made
seven trips to the foul line, making just two, while Saddleback
made 22-of-28 free throws.
Grossmont concludes its non-conference schedule on Thursday (Jan.
6), hosting Feather River College of Quincy, Calif., in a 7 p.m.
start.
Other Grossmont scoring: Tashana Howell 3, Marla Mason 2.
(12-30-04)
17-2 Griffins' run puts end to foul fest
in tournament semifinal
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- With many of their starters saddled with foul trouble,
the bench of the Grossmont Griffins stepped forward to produce
some important baskets down the stretch to stave off a Bakersfield
rally Wednesday (Dec. 29). The Griffins ended the contest on
a 17-2 run to subdue the Renegades, 68-47, in the semifinals
of the 17th annual Grossmont/San Diego Realty Holiday Classic.
Grossmont, which is off to one of its best starts in school history
at 10-3, will play for the tournament championship at 2 p.m.
Thursday (Dec. 30), when they meet Saddleback. The upstart Gauchos
(4-5) posted their second straight upset by nipping Los Angeles
City, 54-49, in the other semifinal.
The Griffins and Renegades (8-6) combined for a tournament record
34 fouls -- in the 1st alone. Thus, both sides needed to get
extra minutes from the reserves.
Fortunately for Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES, her bench produced
several key baskets after Bakersfield moved to within 51-45 with
6:42 remaining.
"We tell the players to practice like you're a starter,
trying to instill in them to really be ready to play," noted
Caires. "So I was really comfortable when I called upon
them -- our bench showed we can go 10 deep."
Bakersfield trimmed a 12-point deficit in the 2nd half and seemed
on the verge of making a big run with only a pair of Griffins
starters on the floor. However, freshman forward KELLY BULL,
who missed several recent games with a concussion, stepped up
to drain a long 3-ball, then on the next possession, passed to
freshman center AMIE LEACH for a short, 3-foot hook shot.
Starter TASHANA HOWELL then returned and immediately stole the
ball and raced for a breakaway layin for a 55-45 lead. Soon,
many of the starters returned, all listed with four fouls, but
none would foul out while continuing to produce on offense.
JESSICA CABLE grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed foul
shot for a bucket, KAYLA HENRY hit a short jumper off a MARLA
MASON pass, then point guard HEATHER THOMAS found a wide-open
Howell for a 3-ball.
Meanwhile, Bakersfield shot itself in the foot by making just
4-of-18 free throws during a late stretch, finishing the night
14-for-38 at the foul line.
"We played our game even with all of the fouls called,"
noted Howell, who scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds.
"We didn't let the fouls or the refs determine the game.
It was one of the toughest games I've ever played in."
Henry paced both teams with 20 points and nine boards, while
Cable reached yet another double-double with 10 points and 10
boards. In addition, Leach registered a career-high 11 points,
as the non-starters combined to play a full 64 of 200 team minutes.
Bakersfield was paced by 14 points from Sarah Ortiz, Tayler Mcquilliams
added 11 and Nicole Goss had nine. However, the trio's shots
were contested all contest, as the three combined to shoot just
11-for-46 from the floor and 10-of-23 at the line.
The physical affair finally saw 56 fouls whistled, yet only one
Bakersfield player fouled out in the final seconds.
The foul total was the most in a community college game in the
county since an infamous MiraCosta-San Diego City contest in
the early 1990s, when both short-handed teams saw more than 50
fouls called and the teams were playing 3-on-3 -- at halftime!
So at the intermission, the referees agreed to reset all individuals
back to zero, yet four players still fouled out, three of whom
collected an unofficial record 10 personal fouls each. Neither
school currently fields a women's basketball team.
(12-29-04)
Griffins break Golden West press to win
Grossmont tournament opener
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half,
Golden West thought it found an answer by pressing Grossmont
after moving to within nine points by halftime. However, the
Griffins raced away by making 10 of their first 12 shots of the
second half, including eight on layins after easily breaking
the press, giving the hosts a 73-60 decision over the Rustlers
in Tuesday's (Dec. 27) opening round of the Grossmont/San
Diego Realty Holiday Classic.
The Griffins (9-3) will meet Bakersfield in Wednesday's (Dec.29)
semifinals at 8 p.m. after the Renegades upset Compton, 71-46
in round one. The other semifinal features Saddleback, a 53-51
upset victor over San Diego Mesa, against Los Angeles City, which
whipped winless San Bernardino Valley, 66-42.
HEATHER THOMAS and JESSICA CABLE repeatedly made strong downcourt
passes to go around or over the Golden West press, or by beating
the Rustlers down the floor for a procession of easy shots.
KAYLA HENRY and LaQUEENA SHENAULT twice converted consecutive
layins, with a short jumper by Thomas in between, to score the
first 10 points from the locker room. The string would run to
14-0 before Golden West could answer, building a 52-29 lead.
The margin would reach its pinnacle at 24 on a steal and breakaway
layin by MARLA MASON for a 56-32 cushion.
For the contest, Grossmont shot a season-best 56 percent from
the floor, including a perfect 7-for-7 by Henry, the center,
who matched Shenault with a team-high 15 points.
Cable finished with 14 points a game-high eight rebounds, while
Thomas collected 12 points and matched teammate TASHANA HOWELL
with five assists.
Rustlers guard Sophy Choy paced both sides with 18 points.
(12-28-04)
Griffins have overall performance in tournament
consolation
East County Sports.com
LANCASTER - A pair of teams with limited height crashed the boards
in Saturday's (Dec. 18) consolation final of the Clear Channel
AVC Holiday Tournament. Fortunately for Grossmont College, the
Griffins came out on top in the ensuing foul-shooting contest.
The Griffins went to the foul line a season-high 29 times, sinking
19 en route to a 71-50 pasting of Taft during final-round action
at Antelope Valley College.
Not coincidentally, JESSICA CABLE and MARLA MASON nailed the
most foul shots with six each, helping Grossmont build a 35-22
halftime lead.
Cable tied for team scoring honors with 15 points, while KAYLA
HENRY also scored 15 and grabbed a game best 10 rebounds. Both
forwards, when not at the foul line, converted most of their
points on put-backs, collecting a combined 10 of the Griffins'
17 offensive rebounds. Henry was named to the all-tournament
team.
"I thought we boarded really well," Grossmont coach
KAREN CAIRES said. "And we made our free throws and overall
shot the ball well. I am pleased with our performance so far."
LaQUEENA SHENAULT posted 14 points and 8 boards for Grossmont
(8-3), while TASHANA HOWELL added 11 points, including a pair
of 3-balls, helping the Griffins shoot a blistering 60 percent
(15-of-25) in the second half. Taft's Cougars, who shot 28 percent
from the floor, fell to 2-9.
Grossmont returns to action on (Tuesday), Dec. 28, when it hosts
the 17th annual San Diego Realty Holiday Festival.
Other Grossmont scoring: Mason 6, Heather Thomas 3, Mayuko Saito
3, Amie Leach 2, Kelly Bull 2.
(12-18-04)
Griffins rattle Rustlers' cage despite
31 turnovers
East County Sports.com
LANCASTER - Grossmont College ripped Golden West from the inside
out in Friday's (Dec. 17) second round of the 4th annual Clear
Channel Antelope Valley College Holiday Basketball Tournament.
The Griffins dominated from the post, as freshman KAYLA HENRY
scored a game-high 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting and sophomore
JESSICA CABLE canned 10 of 16 shots for 20 points while grabbing
12 rebounds in Grossmont's 57-47 win over Golden West.
"We took the ball to the post and it paid off for us,"
Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES said after her Griffs improved to
7-3. "Kayla and Jessica really punished them side."
The Griffins, who survived 31 turnovers, led 30-18 at intermission
and never looked back. Grossmont did not make a single 3-pointer,
but did cash in on 26 of 50 shots from the field for 52 percent.
Grossmont goes after the consolation championship Saturday (Dec.
18) against Taft at 1:30 p.m.
(12-17-04)
Ranked team gives Griffins trouble at Lancaster
tournament
East County Sports.com
LANCASTER - Fifth-ranked Antelope Valley College received 14
points from RaChauna Randle and Renita Mitchell to give the Marauders
an easy 77-55 victory over Grossmont College in Thursday's (Dec.
16) opening round of the Clear Channel AVC Holiday Tournament.
The Marauders (12-2) dominated inside with three players scoring
in double figures, including 14 points each from RaChauna Randle
and Renita Mitchell.
Mariqueta Starling also added 12 points after matching Randle
by draining 6-of-10 shots from the floor.
Randle also added nine rebounds, as did Kelli Valentine. Six
of Valentine's were offensive boards.
KAYLA HENRY recorded a game-high 19 points, but with forward
JESSICA CABLE saddled with foul trouble, the Marauders
took advantage underneath, out-rebounding the Griffins, 39-31,
including 14 offensive caroms, many which led to easy baskets.
Cable fouled out with just two points on 2-for-10 shooting. Next
on the Griffins in scoring was MARLA MASON, who collected
eight points from off the bench.
Grossmont (6-3) will meet Golden West in Friday's (Dec. 17) 3:30
p.m. consolation semifinals. The Rustlers were toppled by Moorpark,
67-61.
(12-16-04)
Griffins take down Harbor at Golden West
Tournament
East County Sports.com
HUNTINGTON BEACH - Learning their lessons after stubbing their
toes the night before, the Grossmont Griffins got off the deck
to whip L.A. Harbor, 65-41, in Saturday's (Dec. 11) final round
of the reincarnation of the Golden West Tournament. It was the
first event held by the host Rustlers in more than 20 years.
A trio of Griffins were tabbed to the all-tournament team, including
forward KAYLA HENRY, who recorded a game-high 17 points.
Also named were forward JESSICA CABLE (13 points, 6 steals)
and point guard HEATHER THOMAS (11 points).
"We're now getting people in the places we're supposed to
be on the court," noted Thomas, who drained 3-of-4 shots
from beyond the arc. "Obviously, we're a post team, but
today we showed we can also kick it out and score from the outside,
too."
Among the beneficiaries of the improving passing and court positioning
was forward TASHANA HOWELL, who scored 11 points, including
a run of four consecutive baskets early in the second half to
break open the game and push the lead to more than 20 points.
"We're starting to get to know where people like to go,
like the cuts Jessica likes to make, or how to get Kayla the
ball down low," noted Howell, who added seven boards and
three steals. "It's been a learning game for us, but we're
now getting into our lanes and working harder to get open."
The gaining of continuity has led the Griffins (6-2) to improved
shooting from the floor, which has allowed the coaching staff
to gain additional playing time for the reserves.
"We can now go deeper and get more offensive flow,"
noted head coach KAREN CAIRES. "This was a good chance
to get everyone to play and learn."
A 3-ball from off the bench by LAURA FELICE capped an
early Griffins surge for an 18-8 lead, as Henry registered eight
points and eight boards in the first half for a 33-20 advantage.
Howell then sparked the offense following the intermission, three
times taking passes from Cable for layins, including one for
a 3-point play and a 47-23 lead, as the Griffins were never headed.
Center AMIE LEACH grabbed nine boards from off the bench,
while LaQUEENA SHENAULT grabbed four boards before rolling
an ankle late in the contest.
Harbor's Seahawks received 12 points from Joyce Warren, while
forward Sky Blue made the all-tournament team, although the Grossmont
defense shut her down to just a single field goal.
The Griffins next partake in the Antelope Valley Tournament next
week, then return home following Christmas to host the 17th annual
Grossmont College Invitational on Dec. 28-30.
Other Grossmont scoring: Kelly Bull 4, Felice 3, Marla Mason
2, Alanna Barnes 2, Leach 2.
East L.A. 63, Grossmont 51 - In Friday's (Dec. 10) tournament
opener, the Griffins allowed a 28-26 halftime lead to slip away,
shooting just 23 percent from the floor in the second half in
falling to East Los Angeles, 63-51. Henry led the Griffins with
14 points, AMIE LEACH posted 10 rebounds from off the
bench to help Grossmont to a solid 46-31 advantage on the boards.
But 7-for-30 shooting - including 2-of-7 from behind the arc
- sent the team packing to the lowly Huskies (3-6).
(12-11-04)
3-point barrage lifts Grossmont
EL CAJON - For a five-minute stretch of
the second half, there was no hotter shooting team from the floor
than the Grossmont Griffins. The hosts nailed 5-of-6 shots from
3-point land to erase a 33-27 deficit, racing to a 70-66 verdict
over Los Angeles City College.
Point guard HEATHER THOMAS sank a trio of 3-balls during
the streak, as the Griffins ran off 15 consecutive points to
turn a 6-point deficit into a 42-33 lead. And when forward KAYLA
HENRY was fouled on her put-back attempt following one of
the team's few misses during the run, it allowed the foul shots
to push the lead to 15 and allow Grossmont to snap the Lady Cubs'
four-game winning stretch.
"We were passing the ball so well, even though LACC was
quicker than us," noted Thomas, a Santana High product,
who recorded team highs with 15 points and four assists. "And
I'm supposed to hit those shots."
For the game, Thomas was 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, while MARLA
MASON, LAQUEENA SHENAULT and LAURA FELICE also
connected on bombs during the run, as Grossmont shot 50 percent
from the floor after intermission.
"Everyone seemed to be open for skip passes and open looks,"
added Mason, who came off the bench to key the defense with four
steals and twice taking the charge. "There were some adjustments
we had to make in order to win the game."
With forward JESSICA CABLE playing only the first 2:13
of the game due to foul difficulties, the Lady Cubs (5-3) went
inside to 6-foot-3 center Desiree Johnson for points, while guard
Adriana Tovalin was able to drive the lane en route to a game-high
20 points.
"We reviewed our zone offense and stayed poised on offense,"
added head coach KAREN CAIRES.
Henry added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Griffins (5-1),
while Mason and Cable scored 11 points each.
Grossmont next plays in this weekend's Golden West College tournament
in Huntington Beach, playing East Los Angeles at 5 p.m. Friday
(Dec. 10), then state-ranked Los Angeles Harbor at 3 p.m. Saturday
(Dec. 11).
(12-08-04)
Griffins adjust, have no problem at MSJC
EastCountySports.com
HEMET - Grossmont College coach KAREN CAIRES decided to keep
one of her top inside players - KAYLA HENRY (knee strain) - on
the bench Friday night (Dec. 3) at Mount San Jacinto College.
That put added pressure on freshman AMIE LEACH and sophomore
JESSICA CABLE. No problem.
Cable scored 19 points and Leach cast in a career-high 16 points
as the Griffins (4-1) grounded the Eagles 62-46 in a non-conference
engagement.
"Our chemistry changes a lot when we don't have Kayla in
the lineup," Caires said. "But we adjusted and the
girls came through."
Cable was stable as usual. But Leach was asked to fill a major
void. Consider her mission accomplished.
"I had to step it up more inside," said Leach, a Santana
High alum. "My teammates did a good job of getting the ball
inside to me. Mt. San Jacinto has some pretty big girls, but
I don't mind that because I like to mix it up with the bigger
players. It was a good experience."
LaQUEENA SHENAULT added 7 points for the Griffins, who host Los
Angeles City College Wednesday (Dec. 8) at 7 p.m.
(12-03-04)
Griffins' Cable steals Irvine Valley's signals near finish
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -
It wasn't the best collegiate performance for Grossmont College
forward JESSICA CABLE, but the lone starting sophomore
for the Griffins came through in crunch time when it counted.
Cable collected three critical steals over the final two minutes,
including her sixth and final theft with five seconds remaining
Wednesday (Dec. 1), helping Grossmont stave off an Irvine Valley
rally, 55-50.
"That was the type of defense I've been waiting for from
Jessica all year," noted head coach KAREN CAIRES.
"Now, I want it from her for the rest of the season."
Grossmont (3-1) built an early 21-7 lead behind a balanced inside-outside
offensive attack, as KAYLA HENRY scored eight of her team-high
18 points from the paint, while LAURA FELICE came off
the bench to nail three consecutive 3-balls.
The margin finally reached 16 points at 32-16 late in the first
half, but the Lasers (3-4), which placed second at last week's
Santa Barbara Tournament, came back to close the half on a 9-0
run. And when Kate Jorgenson nailed a 3-ball with 12:31 remaining,
Irvine Valley claimed the lead at 41-39.
However, Griffins point guard HEATHER THOMAS answered
with a 3-ball and Grossmont held on over the final 12 minutes.
"Our offense, basically, stunk at the end of the first half,
then we came out slow in the second half," noted Cable,
who also registered a dramatic block of a 3-point shot for the
second straight ballgame. "But I didn't want to give up
and lose, so we kept our heads and fought back."
Henry also added a game-high 10 rebounds and took-a-charge to
spark the defense. IVC (3-4) received 18 points off the bench
from Jessica Pascual, while forward Vanessa Dominguez added 11
points and 10 boards.
(12-01-04)
Griffins shooting extraordinary from start
to finish against Rio Hondo
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Freshman forward KAYLA HENRY paced a red-hot
shooting barrage in the second half, making all six of her shots
en route to a game-high 23 points, powering Grossmont College
past visiting Rio Hondo, 82-44, in Wednesday's (Nov. 24) non-conference
contest.
Following a slow start, Henry drained her last seven shots and
9-of-11, helping the Griffins (2-1) shoot nearly 60 percent from
the floor over the final 20 minutes, extending their 41-24 halftime
advantage.
"We really picked up our intensity, especially coming off
a loss," noted Henry, who also grabbed a game-best 19 rebounds,
including 11 from the offensive glass.
Sophomore forward JESSICA CABLE added 14 points and nine boards,
including a nifty series of consecutive baskets following passes
between Grossmont forwards to key a 30-9 scoring run in the second
half..
Reserve center AMIE LEACH collected back-to-back assists on baskets
by Cable, who first nailed a 3-ball to beat the shot clock, then
sank a short jumper in the paint after the players swapped spots
on the court to further confuse the Roadrunners' defense.
"Our post-to-post passing was really great," noted
Cable. "We're gaining more confidence with our offense every
day."
The Griffins converted 17-of-29 second-half shots, finishing
the night at nearly 50 percent (35-for-71) for the ballgame.
The team also collected 60 rebounds - a high during the reign
of KAREN CAIRES as head coach -- as Rio Hondo's attempt to rally
failed after hitting just one 3-ball in 18 attempts after intermission.
Rio Hondo stayed close early on, slowing Grossmont's defense
by sending wave-after-wave of fresh players into the game, many
times substituting all five players - hockey style - every 30
seconds.
"Their speed gave us some problems," added freshman
guard HEATHER THOMAS, who again paced the Griffins in assists
with six. "But we made some adjustments and went over the
top of their defense to get to the basket."
Thomas scored 10 points, while TASHANA HOWELL and MARLA MASON
each added nine points.
NOTES: Rio Hondo earlier played San Diego Mesa, Grossmont's Pacific
Coast Conference rival, and lost 95-60, giving an indication
that the Olympians will be the Griffins' toughest competition
in order to secure a state playoff berth.
(11-26-04)
Grossmont's Henry has strong debut in win
over Barstow
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Mount Miguel High product KAYLA HENRY registered game-highs
of 14 points and 17 rebounds in her collegiate debut, powering
Grossmont College to a 57-40 season-opening victory over visiting
Barstow on Friday (Nov. 12).
Henry, a power forward, keyed a huge defensive surge by the Griffins
in the first half, grabbing eight boards and four steals while
twice taking-the-charge on over-aggressive drives to the basket
by the Vikings, helping the hosts build an overwhelming 35-7
advantage by intermission.
"Our defense definitely was awesome -- it sparked us up,"
noted Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES. "And we also did a nice
job getting the ball to our shooters."
Joining Henry inside, KELLY BULL (Santa Fe Christian) scored
10 of her 11 points from off the bench in the first half, while
LAURA FELICE (Grossmont HS) drained a series of 3-balls during
an early 4-minute span to jumpstart Grossmont to a quick 20-2
lead. TASHANA HOWELL (Monte Vista) added 11 points for the Griffins,
while Bull and Felice each collected nine.
Meanwhile, JESSICA CABLE (El Capitan), the team's lone starting
sophomore, aided the defense with six steals - three in each
half. Point guard HEATHER THOMAS (Santana) distributed the ball
well, collecting five assists.
Barstow (0-1), which plays at Cuyamaca (0-1) on Saturday at 3
p.m. (following the conclusion of the Coyotes men's basketball
tournament championship contest), saw three players -- Antoinette
McKnight, Emily Flynn and Portia Kelker -- score seven points
each.
(11-12-04)
Cable and crew have Griffins poised for more improvement
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College All-Pacific Coast Conference sophomore forward JESSICA CABLE leads the Griffins into Friday's (Nov. 12) season home opener against Barstow College at 3 p.m. Cable, a hard-nosed inside player, averaged 14 points and a dozen rebounds per game as a senior.
This is virtually a freshman team as Cable, LAQUEENA SHENAULT and DORIAN STEEL are the only sophomores on the 13-player roster. Shenault was a starter a year ago.
The freshman cast includes All-East County standout forward KAYLA HENRY, who averaged 15.2 points and 9.3 rebounds for Mount Miguel's San Diego CIF Division II championship team.
Other blue chippers welcomed into coach KAREN CAIRES' fold are Monte Vista forward TASHANA HOWELL (14.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Grossmont High sharp-shooter LAURA FELICE (13.4 ppg, plus an East County best 74 three-pointers).
Completing Grossmont's roster are: ALANNA BARNES (Morse); KELLY BULL (Santa Fe Christian); LYNDSAY FELICE (Grossmont); AMIE LEACH (Santana); MARLA MASON (Chula Vista); HEATHER THOMAS (Santana); MAYUKO SAITO (Kasenuma, Japan).
(11-08-04)
CUYAMACA
El Camino gives lessons to Coyotes
EastCountySports.com
TORRANCE -- Five sophomore starters, including two 6-foot-2 posts,
along with quick and athletic guards were no match-up for the
younger, smaller, slower and inexperienced Coyotes Wednesday
night (Feb. 2), as El Camino polished off visiting Cuyamaca College
65-27 in a lop-sided non-conference contest.
The Coyotes didn't give up, however, and climbed back to within
20 points with tough defense, key blocks (6) and boards (13)
by MONIQUE ROSS, who leads the Pacific Coast Conference
with 23 blocks (4.6 average) and is No. 3 in the state with 56
(4.0 average).
Sharp shooting ADRIANA MALONE (Valhalla) led Cuyamaca
with 16 points, all in the 2nd half. AMY HOYT (Granite
Hills) had 6 assists and 8 rebounds.
"Ross and Malone had good performances tonight in sparking
desperately needed runs. However, I felt the performance of the
night was AMANDA McCURDY's defensive effort on 6-2 sophomore
center Chlowe Grimm, commented head coach TAUFIK SOROUR.
"They were really pushing to get the ball down low to Grimm,
but Amanda, at 5-7 -- so tough, smart, and hard-working -- did
an excellent job guarding her. She has had some very tough
defensive assignments lately and has consistently come through
for us, often shutting down her man."
"That is exactly what I envision and hope this basketball
program will soon be known for . . . gutsy, unrelenting, tough
defense with a great sense of pride and hunger."
Japanese exchange student YUKO TARAO
hit two big jumpers for the Coyotes and KEISHA BLAND added
a bucket.
El Camino scoring: Ellis 7, Whiting 19, Kaneshiro 2, Azzam2,
Murphy10,
Shepherd 4, Miller 5, Aranui 4, Grimm 12.
The Coyotes begin the 2nd round of PCC conference play this Saturday
(Feb. 5) at Mesa College. Tipoff is 5 p.m.
(02-02-05)
Young Coyotes play one of best games of
season against PCC-leading IVC
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO -- The Cuyamaca Coyotes (1-17, 0-5) gave a strong
performance against Pacific Coast Conference-leading Imperial
Valley Saturday night (Jan. 29), before falling 64-48.
The Coyotes trailed by 7 at the half but could not stop an IVC
10-point run that started the 2nd half.
AMY HOYT (Granite Hills) scored 26 points and had 6 rebounds
for the Coyotes. ADRIANA MALONE (Valhalla) finished with
13 points and 5 rebounds.
MONIQUE ROSS had 15 rebounds and AMANDA McCURDY (Granite Hills)
added 5 points and 5 rebounds.
(01-29-05)
Coyotes Howl Over Hoyt's 27-Point
Effort
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA -- Freshman AMY HOYT scored 27 points, 25
of them in the second half, and added 7 rebounds as visiting
Cuyamaca lost 72-48 to Southwestern College (8-9, 1-1) and dropped
to 0-2 in Pacific Coast Conference play on Wednesday (Jan. 19).
"Amy's performance tonight was truly courageous and inspiring.
To bounce back the way she did after last game's injury is just
awesome and really exemplifies the kind of leadership she has
demonstrated all season," commented head coach TAUFIK
SOROUR.
Last Saturday, in the Coyotes' conference opener versus Mesa,
two minutes into the second half Hoyt took a ferocious elbow
to the face that jammed her front teeth back into the roof of
her mouth requiring emergency care and several stitches.
Freshmen ADRIANA MALONE added 12 points and 4 assists
and AMANDA McCURDY scored 7 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
The only sophomore on the squad MONIQUE ROSS also grabbed
9 rebounds and has had 4 or more blocks in each of her last three
games. Ross had 6 against Mesa and broke the school record
with 7 blocks against Feather River on Jan. 7th.
Although the Coyotes (1-14 overall) are short on wins this season,
they have lots of hope for their future. This year's team
has only one returner (Ross) and only three other players with
high school experience including Hoyt (Granite Hills) and Adriana
Malone (Valhalla) who have been forced to step up and score despite
the fact that both were point guards in high school and not the
primary scorers. Both are eager to return next year to
join high school recruits that will help continue the construction
of this new program.
First year coach Sorour, who was hired just weeks before the
Fall semester began, is proud of his team's progress.
"We don't have much talent and we sure don't have a lot
of experience, but we have heart, we work hard, we're a family,
and we get one step closer to mastering the fundamentals of basketball
every day. I think that is a great start to building this
program."
(01-19-05)
Coyotes hang tough for one half against
Victor Valley
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Cuyamaca College is attempting to rebuild its struggling
women's basketball program. Right now. First-year coach TAUFIK
SOROUR's squad trailed visiting Victor Valley 24-22 at halftime
in Saturday's (Nov. 20) non-conference game only to run out of
gas and fall 75-49.
AMY HOYT (Granite Hills) scored a career high 29 points for Cuyamaca
(0-3), while ADRIANA MALONE (Valhalla) added 9 points and 7 assists.
"We had three players in foul trouble in the second half
and it cost us," said Sorour, "and one of our starters
was hurt tonight."
"We played a great first half," he said. "Amy
gave us a great performance. And for our third game, we have
really improved from the first to the second, and then to the
third game. Three of our starters got in foul trouble and we
couldn't rest them. (Victor Valley's) man press hurt us."
(11-20-04)
2004-05 COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL STANDINGS including Playoffs PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE (thru 2-26-05) Conf Overall W- L W- L Pct. Imperial Valley 10- 0 18-10 .643 GROSSMONT 8- 2 20- 7 .741 Palomar 5- 5 14-13 .519 Southwestern 4- 6 11-14 .440 SD Mesa 3- 7 15-14 .517 CUYAMACA 0-10 1-23 .042 SCORES Sat., Feb. 26 Fullerton 75, Imperial Valley 60 Wed., Feb. 23 Compton 84, Grossmont 69 Sat., Feb. 19 *Grossmont 61, Palomar 55 *Imperial Valley 99, Cuyamaca 22 *Southwestern 65, Mesa 52 Wed., Feb. 16 *Grossmont 67, Cuyamaca 34 *Palomar 59, Southwestern 58 *Imperial Valley df. Mesa, no score reported
Sat., Feb. 12
*Grossmont 67, Mesa 50
*Palomar 69, Cuyamaca 35
*Imperial Valley 77, Southwestern 59
Wed., Feb. 9
Imperial Valley 69, Grossmont 59
Palomar 71, Mesa 60
Southwestern df. Cuyamaca
Sat., Feb. 5
*Grossmont 68, Southwestern 62
*Mesa 70, Cuyamaca 32
*Imperial Valley 58, Palomar 55
Wed., Feb. 2
El Camino 65, Cuyamaca 27
Tue., Feb. 1
Palomar 69, El Camino 62
Sat., Jan. 29
*Grossmont 53, Palomar 47
*Mesa 77, Southwestern 50
*Imperial Valley 64, Cuyamaca 48
Wed., Jan. 26
*Grossmont 69, Cuyamaca 32
*Imperial Valley 50, Mesa 45
*Southwestern 59, Palomar 44
Sat., Jan. 22
*Grossmont 67, Mesa 61
*Palomar 62, Cuyamaca 33
*Imperial Valley 86, Southwestern 44
Wed., Jan. 19
*Imperial Valley 61, Grossmont 53
*Southwestern 72, Cuyamaca 48
*Palomar 68, Mesa 64
Sat., Jan. 15
*Grossmont 65 Southwestern 52
*Mesa 85, Cuyamaca 26
*Imperial Valley 61, Palomar 38
Sat., Jan. 8
Grossmont 75, East L.A. 67
Palomar 59, College of the Siskiyous (4-12) 50
Mesa df. Feather River (2-12), forfeit
(Mesa led 2-0 after 65 seconds, when
Feather River asked for the game to be stopped.
The results was declared a forfeit on Tuesday).
Fri., Jan. 7
Lassen (15-4) 59, Palomar 44
Feather River (2-11) 63, Cuyamaca (1-11) 49
Butte (10-5) 71, Southwestern 47
Mesa 63, College of the Siskiyous (4-11) 32
Thurs., Jan. 6
@ Grossmont 63, Feather River (1-11) 29
@ Lassen (14-4) 75, Imperial Valley 73
Thurs., Dec. 30
+ Saddleback (5-5) 63, Grossmont 46 (final)
+ Bakersfield (9-6) 64, LACC (10-6) 50 (third)
+ Compton (12-5) 66, San Diego Mesa (9-7) 62 (consolation)
Wed., Dec. 29
Championship semifinals
+ Grossmont 68, Bakersfield (8-6) 47
+ Saddleback (4-5) 54, LACC (10-5) 49
Consolation semifinals
+ Compton (11-5) 76, Golden West (2-9) 49
+ San Diego Mesa (9-6) 88, San Bernardino Valley (0-9) 38
Tue., Dec. 28
First Round
+ Saddleback (3-5) 53, San Diego Mesa (8-6) 51
+ LACC (10-4) 66, San Bernardino Valley (0-8) 42
+ Bakersfield (8-5) 71, Compton (10-5) 46
+ Grossmont (9-3) 73, Golden West (2-8) 60
Mon., Dec. 20
Santa Ana (3-5) 55, Cuyamaca 36
Sat., Dec. 18
& Grossmont 71, Taft 50
Fri., Dec. 17
& Grossmont 57, Golden West 47
East L.A. 70, Cuyamaca 59
Thurs., Dec. 16
& Antelope Valley 77, Grossmont 55
Sat., Dec. 11
% Grossmont 65, L.A. Harbor (1-9) 41
# Cerro Coso 62, Cuyamaca 52
Fri., Dec. 10
% East L.A. (3-6) 65, Grossmont 51
# Victor Valley (6-3) 49, Cuyamaca 44
Wed., Dec. 8
Grossmont 70, LACC (5-3) 56
Mon., Dec. 6
L.A. Pierce (6-3) 57, Cuyamaca 45
Fri., Dec. 3
Grossmont 62, Mt. San Jacinto 46
Sat., Dec. 2
Cerro Coso (2-4) 49, Cuyamaca 31
Wed., Dec. 1
Grossmont 55, Irvine Valley (3-4) 50
Sun., Nov. 28
^Citrus 100, Cuyamaca 15 (corrected score)
Sat., Nov. 27
^L.A. Pierce 68, Cuyamaca 40
Fri., Nov. 2
^Cuyamaca 57, "All-Stars" 28
Wed., Nov. 24
Grossmont 82, Rio Hondo (1-4) 44
Sat., Nov. 20
Victor Valley 75, Cuyamaca 49
Fri., Nov. 19
Moorpark (2-3) 71, Grossmont 46
Sat., Nov. 13
Barstow 64, at Cuyamaca 40
Grossmont at LACC, ppd.
Fri., Nov. 12
Grossmont 57, Barstow 40
Wed., Nov. 10
Mt. San Jacinto 64, Cuyamaca 40
KEY
^ L.A. Pierce Tournament
% Golden West Tournament
# Cuyamaca Tournament
& Clear Channel Radio Tournament, at Antelope Valley
+ 17th annual San Diego Realty Holiday Tournament,
at Grossmont College
@ Grossmont North-South Challenge
*Pacific Coast Conference game