ALL-LEAGUE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL:Mesa’s Courtney nabs top award

Costa Mesa High senior forward Jennifer Courtney was named the MVP of the Orange Coast League in girls’ basketball by league coaches after leading the Mustangs to the league crown in the league’s first year of existence.

Estancia senior guard Yasmin Arroyo was selected to the first team after helping the Eagles win three league games after winning none the previous year.

At 5-foot-6, Courtney averaged nine points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. She helped the Mustangs (20-12, 8-1 in league) reach the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA championship game and the opening round of the Division III state tournament.

Six of Courtney’s teammates were also chosen for the all-league team.

Making the first team was junior point guard Michelle Figueroa and sophomore guard Miriah Malapira. Figueroa played big down the stretch in getting Costa Mesa to its fourth section title game in school history by leading the team in points (9.8) and assists (4.2) per game.

Malapira tied a school record for three-pointers in a game when she hit seven in a 58-24 league victory against cross-town rival Estancia on Jan. 30. She finished with 21 points in the game, and for the season averaged 4.1 points per game. She led the team with 29 three-pointers.

On the second team, sophomore guard Amy Gentling and junior center Jasmine Werdel made it. Gentling was fourth on the team in scoring (5.6) and second in three-pointers (21). Werdel averaged 6.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

The honorable mentions were junior guard Kathy Trinh and senior forward Nikki Brannon. Trinh averaged 5.3 points per game and Brannon 5.3 points and seven rebounds per game.

Arroyo led Estancia with 9.7 points per game as the Eagles finished 8-13 overall and 3-6 in league for third place. The Eagles improved on the 2005-06 record of 3-20.

Senior Michelle Hallock was honored on the second team after averaging eight points per game.

The three seniors receiving honorable mention were forward Tamisha Williams and guards Alondra Barrera and Emily Carr.

GIRLS

ACADEMY LEAGUE

In his first year as coach at Sage Hill School, Lou Silverman was named the All-Academy League Coach of the Year in girls’ basketball by league coaches.

Silverman guided the Lightning to a share of the league championship with Whitney. It marks the third year in a row that Sage Hill has won or shared the top spot.

The Lightning (13-13, 7-3 in league) had sophomore forward Tierney Danner and senior guard Kaitlin Tyre receive first-team accolades. The two were instrumental in getting the team to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division IV-AA playoffs, where Sage Hill lost to Calvary Chapel, 43-37.

Danner led the team in scoring (13.8) and was the league’s second-leading scorer. She added 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

Tyre led the team in rebounding (8.6) and steals (two), and was second on the team in points (9.7) and assists (2.9).

Silverman said Tyre was the only league player to average 11 points and 11 rebounds per game during league play.

Junior point guard Katie McKeon, who led the team with three assists per game, was a second-team pick.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar High senior guard Allie Duernberger was picked first-team All-Pacific Coast League in girls’ basketball by league coaches and junior forward Ashley Kirby made the second team.

Duernberger averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game for the Sea Kings (9-17, 2-6 in league). The four-year varsity player made six three-pointers to finish with a season-high 18 points in a 60-42 victory against Santiago on Dec. 30. She led the team with 30 three-pointers on the season.

Kirby led the team with a 13.5 points per game average to go with 4.7 rebounds per game, second-best average on the team, and one steal per game.

Kirby’s best game came in a 58-53 loss to Torrance on Dec. 14, when she scored a season-high 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and made four steals.

SUNSET LEAGUE

Newport Harbor senior point guard Ivy Melo received second-team All-Sunset League honors in girls’ basketball by league coaches, making her the lone Sailors’ player to be recognized in league for the second straight year.

Melo, who last year made the Sea View League’s second team, was Newport Harbor’s second-leading scorer at seven points per game.

She averaged a team-high four assists per game as the Sailors went 5-17 overall and 1-9 in league.