Daily Pilot College Female Athlete of the Week: Kyra Melville

Steve Virgen

Kyra Melville will never have to ask herself, “What if,’ when the

Orange Coast College women’s basketball season ends in March. The

Pirates’ team captain destroyed any thought of regret when she followed

her heart instead of choosing the easy way out this past offseason.

Melville, the only sophomore starter on the OCC squad, was challenged

by Coach Mike Thornton before the season, when he said he wanted 100%

commitment from the 5-foot-10 forward or nothing at all.

“I was thinking about not playing at all this season,” said Melville,

who battled through last season recovering from a torn MCL suffered in

her senior year at Mater Dei High. “Last year, the coaches and I had some

differences. We just didn’t get along. I had just got off a knee injury.

This season, the coaches came up to me and said that they wanted my 100%

commitment. I decided to play. I’m so glad I made the choice.”

Melville, who was a first-team, All-Serra League player for Mater Dei

as a junior and senior, said her strong love for basketball ultimately

led her to return to the Pirates and make the team her No. 1 priority.

The Daily Pilot College Female Athlete of the Month averaged 10.87

points per game in December, guiding the Pirates to a 6-2 record and a

No. 12 ranking in the state by the California Community College Coaches’

poll. She led the Pirates twice in scoring out of the eight games. But it

is her hustle and maturity which have been a grand influence for her

teammates, 12 freshmen and two fellow sophomores.

Simply put, Melville sets the tone for OCC.

“A big part of her success this season is her leadership,” Thornton

said. “Last year, she was a tentative freshman who was trying to fit in.

She has taken the role as being a leader this year. She always plays

really hard. She’s the kind of girl who would step up and guard the other

team’s leading scorer. When we need baskets badly, she steps up.”

When the Pirates needed intensity, Melville answered the call in a

54-53 win over Cerritos Dec. 19, that avenged a 53-50 loss in the final

of the Coast Classic.

The typical Melville stat-line was displayed -- a team-high 10 points,

six rebounds, four assists and four steals -- but it was her work behind

the scenes that helped the Pirates to victory. With OCC trailing 53-51,

Melville set a solid screen for Liz Mendoza who hit a three-pointer in

the clear with two seconds left.

The victory resulted in confidence for the Pirates (12-4) as they

prepare for the Orange Empire Conference season, which opens with rival

Golden West at OCC, Jan 9 at 7:30 p.m.

“I think the younger kids look to me because I’m establishing myself

more offensively and defensively,” Melville said. “This year, we’re all

pretty much even. There’s a lot of talent and a lot of depth. If

everybody can play the way I know we can play, I know we can beat

anybody. With the work and talent we have, it’s bound to pay off. I

expect us to win (the OEC title).”

While her greatest attribute is her leadership, Melville uses her

versatility on the court to offset opponents and keep the Pirates

balanced. She can play guard because of her dribbling and passing or go

to forward and post up in the paint. She’s athletic enough to handle the

ball in crucial situations and longs for a loose ball to dive for. It’s

those times when she has to hustle, that Melville finds her rhythm.

“She plays every position for us,” Thornton said. “She can handle the

ball. She’s very valuable against the press. When we came back to play

(Cerritos), she wanted to win more than anyone else. We had one of those

refuse-to-lose games and we responded.”

When Thornton approached Melville in the offseason, she responded by

showing her desire for the game.

“I love basketball,” Melville said. “I would have just missed it way

too much if I didn’t play this season. I can’t imagine not playing

basketball.”