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.”
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