Going for the repeat

Bryce Alderton

Mike Thornton said he watched the tape 20 times during the summer

when he wanted to relive the magic of last spring.

The Orange Coast College women’s basketball team was on Cloud Nine

last March when the Pirates rammed through their last five opponents

to win the school’s first state championship in the sport.

Four players return off that state title team to attempt the

repeat effort, but Coach Thornton said talk of back-to-back

championships is a little premature.

“I’m hoping the success from last year can carry over, but it’s

unrealistic to think we can do it again,” Thornton said. “Saddleback

is supposed to have the best team ever in women’s basketball.” The

Gauchos went 29-3 a year ago, including a perfect 14-0 mark in Orange

Empire Conference play, and entered the Southern California regional

playoffs as the top seed.

Coast went 2-1 to finish third in the Mt. San Antonio Tournament

to begin the season last weekend. Thornton said this year’s Pirates

are quick learners both mentally and physically.

“I think we will be able to get transition baskets and pressure

more,” Thornton said. “We are stronger in both areas. Our freshmen

can really run the floor.”

Freshmen Rhondi Naff (Costa Mesa) High and Biava Arganda

(Westminster) figure to join sophomores Alisa Carrillo and Amy Shaw

in the starting rotation with the fifth spot receiving competition

from Jessica Chades and Kirsten Von Tungeln.

Arganda, a 5-foot-10 guard, earned Co-Most Valuable Player honors

in the Golden West League a year ago while Naff, a 6-0 forward, led

the Mustangs with 18.5 points per game and was named first-team

all-league. Naff was named first-team All-Pacific Coast League in the

2001-2002 season when Mesa was a member there.

“Rhondi will play the “three” for us, fill the lane on the break

and get up and down the floor,” Thornton said. “She is working on

improving her perimeter shooting. She has a shot at being a Division

I player.”

Coast’s backcourt figures to be strong again with the addition of

Arganda, taking the place of Nancy Hatsushi, MVP of the state

tournament who transferred to play at Concordia University in Irvine.

“She is the jack of all trades,” Thornton said of Arganda. “I told

her she is like [Earvin] Magic Johnson.

“Nancy is the best pure shooter I’ve had at Coast and was the most

intelligent point guard. She was like having a coach on the floor.

Both [Arganda and freshman Chades] can get to the basket better than

Nancy could.”

Freshmen Stacee Sanchez (Costa Mesa), Teeya Fernandez, Ruby

Viloria, Shaadi Ariazand, Christen D’Alessandro and Evelyn Gomez

round out Thornton’s options at guard while sophomores Celeste

Haueter, Charlenda Van Buren, alongside 5-11 freshman center Lauren

Stepanski (Woodbridge), play on the front line.

“D’Alessandro is a good perimeter shooter and wing player at the

‘two’ or ‘three’ spots,” Thornton said. “Stepanski will be a good

offensive rebounder.”

Carrillo (6-0), an all-state tournament selection, finished second

on Coast in scoring average (12.6) and rebounds (6.2) while leading

the team in field-goal percentage (.563 on 183 of 325 attempts).

“[Carrillo] has improved a lot and should be one of the best

inside players in the state,” Thornton said. “She catches the ball

well and finishes well. She is definitely our go-to player.”

Shaw averaged four points and 14.3 minutes a year ago while

finishing second to Nancy Hatsushi in three-point percentage (.383 on

36 of 94 attempts). The 6-2 Von Tungeln, Coast’s tallest player,

averaged 4.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game a year ago, but a

sprained ankle has limited her playing time this fall.

Jamie Croy, formerly “Shine,” will assist Thornton along with

Leigh Marshall.

Budget constraints have shortened the regular season from 28 to 24

games (excluding tournaments), providing for some extended breaks.

OCC doesn’t play its next game until it hosts Cerritos Nov. 21, a

span of 12 days between contests. In December the Pirates play in the

Cuesta Tournament Dec. 4-6 and don’t return to action until the Coast

Christmas Classic two weeks later.

“The bottom line is everyone has the same gaps in time, you just

have to go out and play hard,” Thornton said.

Not much has changed in Thornton’s preparation as he begins his

15th season leading Coast.

“We try not to look past each game and only worry about us, not

the other team,” Thornton said. “Just try to be the best you can be.”