Women’s basketball preview: Bucs

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - Post-up size and power will give way to speed,

quickness and depth for Orange Coast College women’s basketball team as

the Bucs open their 1999-2000 season Friday at the Chaffey College

Tournament.

“We’re definitely a more up-tempo ball club and we’re going to have to

be in order for us to be successful,” Coach Mike Thornton said. “Our goal

is to keep the other teams from getting into their set offense and we’re

going to allow our guards to trap and double-team whenever possible to

create turnovers.”

Despite the loss of some key players last year, the Pirates still look

to be one of the top schools in the always-tough Orange Empire

Conference.

“We shoot the ball real well,” Thornton said. “It’s a hard-working

team and possibly one of the smartest teams I’ve ever had at Coast.”

What the Bucs lack in size with the loss of 6-foot-3 four-year school

transfer Natalie Weeks and no six-footers on the entire roster, they will

make up with in depth.

“We have 12 players on this year’s club and I believe that 10 or 11

can play at any time during the game,” Thornton said. “This will really

help our up-tempo style of play because we can substitute much more than

most ball clubs and still have a very competitive team on the court.”

This year, the Pirates will start five sophomores, a first for a

Thornton-coached team. “They’ve worked hard and they deserve to start,”

he said.

Leading the way for the Pirates are returning all-conference players,

Sara Middlebrooke and Erin Tomlinson.

Middlebrooke averaged 10.4 points and eight rebounds per game, while

Tomlinson, one of OCC’s captains along with Melissa Lewis, averaged 10.7

points and six rebounds per game.

A bright addition to the Bucs is 5-7 guard Shauna Steward, who

transferred to OCC from Golden West, where she averaged 20 points a game

for the Rustlers as a freshman.

“She’s a real competitor, who really hates to lose,” Thornton said.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing her play in our fast style of

offense.”

Along with the solid veteran leadership from the sophomores, the

Pirates also have an outstanding core of freshman, including Karyn Fierst

and Kristen Urban (Newport Harbor High).

“Karyn was a starter on Marina’s CIF championship team and has a very

good perimeter shot,” Thornton said. “Kristen has been a real surprise

for us. Her work ethic is one of the best on the team and I think she’s

the most improved player on the club since the start of fall workouts.”

The Pirates have won 20 or more games seven seasons in a row and an

eighth looks good, provided they limit mistakes and turnovers.

Thornton’s career record is 221-107 and the last two years, OCC’s

51-17 record is the best two-year stretch in the school’s history.

OCC was 26-7 last year and has reached the playoffs in each of

Thornton’s 10 seasons as head coach, but last year, the Bucs were bounced

in the first round against Santa Barbara.

“We suffered through a bunch of injuries to some key players, but

there’s an upside to that,” Thornton said. “Because of that, a lot of

players got some valuable minutes on the court and that will carry over

onto this ball club.”

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Coach: Mike Thornton

11 Janette Redmond 5-7 Fr. G

12 Megan Masuda 5-6 Fr. G

13 Karyn Fierst 5-5 Fr. G

14 Keli Johnson 5-9 So. F

15 Shauna Steward 5-7 So. G

20 Brenda Atkins 5-5 So. G

21 Erin Tomlinson 5-10 So. F

22 Nadia Jomica 5-8 So. F

23 Leah Wilde 5-11 So. F

25 Crystal Kawaguchi 5-10 Fr. F

31 Sarah Middlebrooke 5-11 So. F

32 Kristen Urban 5-9 Fr. F

44 Melissa Lewis 5-11 So. C