Henry inks Division I scholarship

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-17-06) -- Three members of the Grossmont College women's basketball team will play collegiately at the next level next winter, Griffins head coach KAREN CAIRES announced Wednesday (May 17).

The players are forward-center KAYLA HENRY, who signed an NCAA Division I scholarship with New Mexico State, plus guards BRIGAYLE IGLEHART (CSU-Dominguez Hills) and MARLA MASON (UC San Diego) -- all sophomores.

Henry paced the Griffins with an 18.7 scoring average -- the third-best in the Pacific Coast Conference -- while leading the circuit in percentage shooting despite seeing most of her action at center. However, with the Division I Aggies, Henry will be at a far stronger position at power forward.

"New Mexico State runs a 4-out, 1-in (offense formation), so it should help develop my game a lot more," noted Henry, who is known for her slashes to the basket, similar to her cousin, WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes of the Houston Comets. "They were looking for someone and we made the connection."

Helping the parties come together was Henry's high school coach, ROBBIE SANDOVAL of Mount Miguel, where Henry captured a pair of CIF championships.

"I have to thank him, and I have to thank coach Caires, too," added Henry. "I really trusted in her and it helped my game a lot in being more disciplined, to 'use the glass,' like she always tells me, and increase my scoring in league games."

Henry will major in sports medicine. Her decision will also allow her parents to decide where to move to, hoping to stay realitively close to their daughter. They will relocate to Dallas, which is less than a day's drive from Las Cruces.

NMSU advanced to the Western Athletic Conference championship game for the first time in school history this past season.

Like Henry, Iglehart, a University City High product, was a first-team, All-PCC performer, who registered a rare quadruple-double against Southwestern during conference play. She also ranked among the conference leaders in several categories.

"I originally wanted to go to Savannah State, but it didn't happen that way," noted Iglehart. "Cal State Dominguez Hills offers me more promise than all the other teams looking at me, and the coaching staff feels comfortable for me."

Mason's decision on UC San Diego was as much strictly for academics as it was for basketball. The Chula Vista High product plans to major in political science while playing for the Tritons.

"The program is starting to excel since uit moved to Division II," said Mason, who hopes to become a detective or military investigator.

Mason averaged 5.9 points, 2.7 assists, 2.6 steals, and 3.7 rebounds. The Tritons advanced to the NCAA Tournament this year, falling in the first round.

East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (2-24-06) -- Leading her team to 20 consecutive victories without a loss and a pair of conference championships, Imperial Valley College guard Ivy Smith was the unanimous choice as Pacific Coast Conference Player of the Year, as voted by coaches in the 6-team circuit. It was Smith's second straight citation as top player.

Smith was a runaway winner in the scoring race at 28.5 points per contest, more than eight points better than RAWAA PATROS of Cuyamaca (20.0), who was also named top the all-conference first team with Smith and Arabs teammate Whitney Williams,

Grossmont landed a pair of first-team honorees in sophomores KAYLA HENRY and BRIGAYLE IGLEHART. Henry was the top percentage shooter in the conference, while Iglehart, who registered a rare quadruple-double against Southwestern during conference play, was among the PCC leaders in several categories,

Others named among the coaches' selections include Cuyamaca's Amy Hoyt (Granite Hills), and Mesa's Courtney Ash (Santana). Also tabbed were Danielle Levasseur (Palomar), Tory Morrissette (Palomar), Erika Hendrickson (San Diego Mesa) and Andrea Aguilar (Southwestern).

Grossmont point guard Heather Thomas scopes ahead at her teammates, looking for a place to pass through Cuyamaca's defense in a victory. (Photo by Frank Gregorek)

East County Sports.com
SACRAMENTO (2-21-06) -- The playoff selection committee for the Commission on Athletics, the governing body for community college sports in the state, bypassed Grossmont College for the 18-team south regional field for the 2006 California state women's basketball championship.

The Griffins (15-13 overall), the runners-up in the Pacific Coast Conference, were one of eight Southland school with winning records not selected for the tournament, although one of the fortunate participants registered a .500 record, while another was a fourth-place team which finished three full games under .500.

"It's all about the RPI, and we just didn't have it," said Griffins coach Karen Caires. "If we only could've beaten Palomar, we could have earned a few more points, but I didn't really expect to make it."

A total of 13 teams made the tournament with 20 or more victories, while three others were right behind in the high teens. However, two controversial selections and one notable snub made the entire selection process questionable.

Advancing into the tournament were Moorpark (15-15) and Cerritos (15-18), while Irvine Valley (22-9) and Cerro Coso (20-9) became the fourth and fifth teams in Southland history not to make the field after posting at least 20 victories during the regular season.

"Irvine finished below two teams in the (Orange Empire Conference) standings who had lower RPI's," noted Caires. "And according to the rules, you must finish above those teams to receive priority in the selections."

However, the same set of guidelines are not applied once a school is chosen for the tournament field. Orange Empire champion Cypress -- the defending state champions -- were given a No. 4 seed to the region, while Riverside and Orange Coast, which tied for second place behind the Chargers, gained the second and third seeds, respectively.

Now, all three of those schools were going to gain entry to the tournament anyway, but the even application of such a rule is much more critical to determine placement among the lower seeds. But it didn't happen.

Thus, Cerritos made the field although finishing three games below .500, beating out schools such as Barstow (19-11), Mt. San Jacinto (15-12), Bakersfield (16-14), Citrus (17-15), and even Santa Ana (16-14), which easily defeated the Falcons by 14 points during the season.

Cerritos will meet 15th-seeded Cuesta in a Wednesday play-in contest. The Falcons defeated the Cougars earlier this season, 62-59, in the semifinals of the Orange Coast Tournament back on December 17. In that game, Cerritos had two players make major contributions who are now out for the season with injuries -- another factor not taken by the COA selection committee.

The Falcons also lost to playoff participants Riverside, Rio Hondo, Antelope Valley, Cypress, Merced, Orange Coast (twice), Pasadena and Santa Barbara, along with South Coast Conference foes Long Beach, L.A. Southwest and El Camino. They also lost to Irvine Valley, 56-45.

Playoff teams which Cerritos defeated were Cuesta, Moorpark and an upset of top-ranked Mt. San Antonio. The Mounties later won the re-match by nearly 30 points.

Indeed, Cerritos played a tough schedule, yet who did they beat except for the single significant victory over Mt. SAC?

Meanwhile, Irvine Valley defeated -- along with Cerritos -- playoff participants Compton, El Camino and Antelope Valley, posting a 17-1 record entering conference play.

Problems like this have plagued the COA for decades, even as far back as its first-ever state women's basketball event in 1978, when San Diego Mesa failed to be chosen to the postseason field despite a stellar 19-2 overall record, only losing twice to then state-power Fullerton in conference play.

The lone Pacific Coast Conference ballclub to gain a postseason berth was Imperial Valley (23-9), which drew the No. 11 seed and will travel to 6th-seeded Ventura for Saturday's first round of the main draw.

Cuyamaca guard Amy Hoyt (right) attempts to dribble past Grossmont's Alana Barnes. The Griffins took the intradistrict battle, 73-57. (Photo by Travis Downs)

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-19-06) -- On Wednesday, Cuyamaca College's biggest fans were the Grossmont Griffins, who were overjoyed when the Coyotes upset Palomar to rekindle playoff aspirations for the Griffs.

Yet, less than 72 hours later -- no offense to the Coyotes -- Grossmont now wanted to pound their district rivals. And they did so by pounding the ball inside, as center KAYLA HENRY scored on nine consecutive shots from the paint in the first half Saturday (Feb. 18), as Henry went on to score a game-high 23 points in a 73-57 decision over Cuyamaca in the regular-season finale for both teams.

"When you think about it, you could see how Cuyamaca beat Palomar," noted Griffins coach KAREN CAIRES. "They shoot the ball, they run the transition and don't give up. With all that going for them, if Cuyamaca gets hot shooting, they can give lots of teams problems."

So Grossmont tried to take away what Cuyamaca does best -- outside shooting. Doing their best to prevent Cuyamaca scoring leaders RAWAA PATROS and AMY HOYT from releasing quality shots, the Griffins built an early 25-10 lead, maintaining a double-digit lead for all but a few seconds of the second half to clinch a share of second place in the Pacific Coast Conference.

And with Henry and GABRIELA PASSENTINO (11 points) each pulling down eight boards, the Griffins mounted a huge 52-30 rebounding advantage to prevent the Coyotes from displaying their running game, too.

"We tried to take away what they do on offense, then we got the ball inside where we had a size advantage," added Caires.

Grossmont point guards MARLA MASON and HEATHER THOMAS each took turns feeding the ball inside to Henry, who often made her patented twist move to equal her season-high with nine consecutive field goals made. And when BRIGAYLE IGLEHART tallied nine of her 11 points in the first half, Grossmont locked the victory away early.

Patros came back to finish with 22 points, while KESIA WILLIAMS added 13, as Cuyamaca (10-13 overall, 3-7 PCC) still finished with its best season -- overall and conference -- in school history. CHRISTINE TILLMAN added 12 boards and three steals for the Coyotes.

However, Mason provided the spark on defense with seven rebounds and six steals, including one theft for a breakaway basket while getting hammered from behind, as both Cuyamaca defenders were left sprawled on the floor while Mason landed alone on her feet before getting mobbed by teammates on the most dramatic play of the contest late in the first half.

Grossmont awaits word from Monday's (Feb. 20) Southern California regional seeding meeting to determine if they will gain a postseason berth. However, since Palomar, which tied the Griffins for second place, swept the season series, they have priority to reach the playoffs but are hampered by a poor 11-16 overall record.

On the flip side, the same tiebreaker procedure could eliminate upwards of three teams from the Orange Empire Conference in Orange County, which could open the way for additional playoff berth openings. Fullerton (11-20) tied with Santa Ana (16-13) at 7-7, yet owns the tiebreaker over both the Dons and Irvine Valley (22-9, 6-8) despite its poor record in pre-conference play.

Cypress clinched the OEC for its first conference title since 1988, while Riverside finished second after downing Irvine Valley in Friday's finales to guarantee invitations to the postseason.

East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-16-06) -- Cuyamaca College already clinched its best season in six years of fielding a women's basketball team. So just call this one the exclamation point to mark to officially establish the fledgling program.

Behind career scoring highs by both AMY HOYT (31 points) and KESIA WILLIAMS (15), the Coyotes steam-rolled second-place Palomar, 69-37, setting a school mark for fewest points allowed in a Pacific Coast Conference contest.

"We worked so hard to finally beat a team like Palomar," said Cuyamaca coach TAUFIK SOROUR. "Our defense was unbelievable -- it was a near-perfect game; it was beautiful."

The triumph gives the Coyotes (10-12 overall, 3-6 PCC) one more victory -- both overall and conference -- than the record set by the 2000 side.

"We are very proud of these accomplishments, especially since we start four freshmen," added the second-year coach.

Hoyt keyed the offense by making a series of five 3-point shots, while adding 10-of-12 shots from the foul line, helping the Coyotes to a 34-19 halftime lead. Meanwhile, Williams was credited with slowing down Palomar's Latoria Morrissette, who was held to just four points before leaving the contest late in the first half due to an injury.

"It's too bad it happened in the next-to-last game of the season, yet everything finally fell into place," said Hoyt. "We knew we were capable of this kind of performance all season, but better late than never -- it's all about building the program."

On a night when Coyotes scoring leader RAWAA PATROS netted just eight points, she was picked-up by several teammates for offensive production. MICHELLE THOMPSON posted nine points, while CHRISTINE TILLMAN continued her run for the state rebounding title with 16 more boards.

In the second half, Cuyamaca slowly built its lead to more than 30 points, even though they tried to slow down the contest.

"We even took a couple of shot-clock violations just to avoid making a bad pass and risk letting Palomar back into the game," added Hoyt. "We really controlled the ball because we knew they could come back. All the small stuff we worked on fell into place."

Instead, Cuyamaca gained its first-ever victory over a first-division program while sending the PCC standings into a flux. Oddly, Cuyamaca's win moved district rival Grossmont into position to gain a share of second place.

Palomar, if alone in second place following regular-season action Saturday, wasn't expected to gain a playoff berth because of its overall record. However, the Griffins could finish three full games above .500 with a sweep in the final week of the regular season to receive postseason consideration.

Hope springs eternal for Grossmont

East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (2-16-06) -- The Grossmont Griffins thought they were simply playing out the string, entering the week with a pair of contests against second-division ballclubs in the Pacific Coast Conference.

Suddenly, prospects for the postseason fell into their lap.

Moments after rallying past host San Diego Mesa, 78-67, Wednesday (Feb. 15), the Griffins learned of Cuyamaca's shocking upset of second-place Palomar, giving Grossmont a share of second place and an opportunity to gain a playoff berth.

"This isn't to say anything bad about Cuyamaca, but we were as surprised as anyone to hear they won," said Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES. "And the way they won, too -- by 32 points. They're playing very well right now."

Now, all the Griffins need to do is beat their intra-district rivals to clinch at least a tie for second and move three games above .500, which should give Caires' team a high enough power ranking to gain a berth in the Southern California regionals.

First, they needed to defeat Mesa to complete a season-series sweep. However, the Olympians led throughout most of the first half until Grossmont adjusted to Mesa's unique zone.

Instead of placing a guard at the top of its 1-2-2 zone, Mesa placed 6-foot-2 center ERIKA HENDRICKSON at the point, hoping to make it difficult for Grossmont's small point guards to get the ball to the post.

But when the Griffins made the adjustment, center KAYLA HENRY scored four straight baskets off nice bounced passes to the low post to catch Mesa at 31-all at the half. Then Grossmont received balanced scoring from the outside to eliminate use of the zone to win by double figures.

Henry paced the Griffins (16-14 overall, 5-4 PCC) with 24 points, while BRIGAYLE IGLEHART added 20 points. Two others also scored in double figures, as HEATHER THOMAS scored 12 and GABBY PASSENTINO added 11.

On defense, MARLA MASON took the charge twice to force turnovers.

"We controlled the time and the score, especially over the last three minutes," noted Caires. "Brigayle played her usual great game, and Heather and Marla played real well at the point."

Mesa guard COURTNEY ASH, a product of Santana High who made just 1-of-16 shots in the teams' first meeting, finished with 19 points, while Hendricksen added 11. However, the remainder of the Olympians (14-15-4-5) were shut down, as Grossmont swept the season series for the second straight season.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-12-06) -- Imperial Valley College guard Ivy Smith again demonstrated why she is the reigning Pacific Coast Conference player of the year.

The sophomore from Georgia disrupted the offense of Grossmont College with several steals, many leading to easy baskets at the other end of the court in the second half, allowing the Arabs to down the host Griffins, 58-45, Saturday (Feb. 11), wrapping-up their third straight conference crown.

"This is a court I love to win at," said IVC associate coach Jeff Deyo, who once served as the Arabs' director of athletics and men's basketball coach. "We've had some important wins here over the years."

Grossmont seemed destined to snap Imperial Valley's 24-game conference winning streak, leading 26-23 at the half while placing the Arabs in massive foul trouble, as three starters were saddled with three fouls each. However, the Griffins stopped running their offense as effectively in the second half, then Smith added three assists for breakaway baskets, then took a charge on defense to turn the team's fortunes.

"Ivy made three big plays in a row for them when they made a run on us," said Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES. "It's frustrating because we were doing so many things correctly in the first half."

HEATHER THOMAS drained a 3-ball to tie the game at 37-all with 12:57 remaining, but Imperial Valley went on a 9-0 run to pull away for keeps. Smith registered two steals during the breakout, first feeding Whitney Williams for a layin.

The string ended when IVC forward Alexis Johnson fouled out with 7:35 left, but Grossmont went five additional minutes without a basket and just 2-of-4 foul shots while the score stayed almost motionless with the Arabs up by 11 points.

Smith finished with game-highs of 26 points, five steals and four assists, while Williams and Bridget Browner added 13 points each.

The Griffins received 15 from BRIGAYLE IGLEHART, plus 13 more from KAYLA HENRY, but the teams shot just 30.8 percent from the floor (16-of-52) to hamper any attempts to rally.

Grossmont (15-14, 4-4) completes the regular season with a pair of contests next week, playing at San Diego Mesa on Wednesday (Feb. 15), then hosting Cuyamaca next Saturday (Feb. 18). Both games start at 7 p.m.

Cuyamaca 54, Southwestern 49 -- The Coyotes survived one of their poorest shooting displays of the season by taking care of the basketball, while adding clutch free throws, smart defense and strong rebounding to whip the Jaguars.

Southwestern led by five points with 2:30 remaining, but Cuyamaca pulled out the late victory, in part to the board play of CHRISTINE TILLMAN, the Pacific Coast Conference rebounding leader, who rates third in the state at 14.4 boards per contest.

Cuyamaca led throughout most of the contest, including a 27-24 halftime advantage, but the Jaguars crawled back and moved in front, 40-38, with nine minutes remaining, pushing the lead to 47-42 before the Coyotes halted the Jags’ offense.

Tillman started the clutch 12-2 stretch to close the contest by grabbing an offensive rebound off a missed foul shot for the putback basket to trim the deficit to three points.

RAWAA PATROS followed by scoring a layin off the fast break, then MICHELLE THOMPSON stole the ball to start another break, with AMY HOYT eventually getting fouled on her drive to the basket. Hoyt, the PCC’s third-best foul shooter (78 percent), drained both shots for a 48-47 lead with 1:15 left.

Then the Coyotes’ defense turned up the pressure another notch, with Thompson and Tillman garnering consecutive steals, the second leading to a baseline jumper by Patros for a 3-point lead with 25 seconds to go.

Southwestern missed a potential game-tieing 3-point shot, as Tillman grabbed the final of her 13 boards, leading to two additional Hoyt free throws and a 52-47 lead at the 12-second mark. Seconds later, Hoyt would add two more from the line to finish a perfect 6-for-6 down the stretch.

Hoyt finished with 11 points, while Patros, the leading freshman scorer in the state, collected 17 points, six boards and five steals, despite the pair combining to shoot just 2-for-26 for the 3-point line.

Tillman and Thompson added eight points each, DAWNNELLA NELSON and KESIA WILLIAMS added three assists each, while YUKO TERAO came off the bench to collect three important boards and played strong defense.

The turnabout is especially pleasing to Coyotes coach TAUFIK SOROUR, who officially pulled the program out of last place by virtue of this victory.

After routinely suffering upwards of 30 turnovers per contest early in the season, Cuyamaca’s ball-handlers are breaking poor habits and committed just 11 turnovers for the third time in its last four outings. The other contest saw just 13 turnovers against scrappy Imperial Valley, the Pacific Coast Conference leaders, which forced 31 turnovers in the teams’ first meeting.

Cuyamaca moves to 9-12 overall (2-6 PCC), while Southwestern clinched another 20-loss season at 3-20 overall (1-7 PCC).

East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA (2-9-06) -- Coming off her career-high 40-point outing, Grossmont College forward KAYLA HENRY continued her torrid scoring pace, pouring home a game-high 26 points to lead the Griffins to a 67-61 victory over host Southwestern.

Except for a single possession, Grossmont led wire-to-wire, although the game was relatively close throughout, as the Griffins extended a 29-24 halftime lead by taking better care of the ball.

"We had way too many turnovers in the first half, but we made some good adjustments to stay ahead," noted Griffins coach KAREN CAIRES. "Southwestern has really improved and didn't just roll over to finish the season."

BRIGAYLE IGLEHART, who registered a quadruple-double against the Jaguars in the teams' first meeting last month, finished with 13 points, while HEATHER THOMAS added nine points.

The victory moves Grossmont (15-13 overall, 4-3 PCC) back into a three-way tie for second place in the Pacific Coast Conference. Imperial Valley gained at least a share of the conference crown by downing Palomar, 73-53, leaving Grossmont, Palomar and San Diego Mesa all knotted in the standings.

The Griffins get their chance to hand IVC at least one conference loss when the teams meet Saturday (Feb. 11) at 7 p.m. at The G-House.

San Diego Mesa 83, Cuyamaca 75 -- After allowing Southwestern to post its first PCC victory of the season, the Olympians bounced back to down the injury-hampered Coyotes. No game details were reported.

East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (2-5-06) -- Grossmont College, coming off an 11-point victory over district rival Cuyamaca in its most recent start, was unable to keep a good thing going Saturday (Feb. 4) night.

The Griffins (14-13 overall, 3-3 I Pacific Coast Conference) fell out of a tie for second place behind PCC leader Imperial Valley, losing to Palomar 56-45 on the road.

For the second straight meeting,The Griffins fell behind at halftime to Palomar, 27-19, and spent the second half trying to play catch-up against the Comets (4-2, 9-14). They got as close as four points, at 43-39, but could get no closer.

KAYLA HENRY, who tallied a career-high 40 points in the win over Cuyamaca, led Grossmont with 17 points and Brigayle Iglehart added 10. But the remainder of the Griffins' roster managed only 18 points between them.

A cold evening from the free-throw stripe doomed Grossmont, connecting on only nine of 24 attempts from the line.

Danielle Levasseur and Morrissette led Palomar with 16 points each.

If it were not for Palomar, the Griffins would be alone in second place and hot on Imperial Valley's trail in the conference race. The Comets also beat the Griffs in the first round, 68-61 on Jan. 14 at Grossmont's gym.

The lone bright note for Grossmont shows the team only dropping one position in the standing to third, as San Diego Mesa was upset by previously winless South-western, 65-59.

Imperial Valley 68, Cuyamaca 55 -- The Coyotes failed to make a dent into the Arabs' road to another PCC championship after falling at home.

For the Arabs, Ivy Smith scored 36 points, grabbed five rebounds and had five assists, one block and seven steals. Alexis Johnson had 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Claire Zajdel had nine points, three rebounds and one assist.

No information on Cuyamaca was reported.

East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (1-31-06) -- Grossmont College post player KAYLA HENRY came within an eyelash of setting the school scoring record, pouring home a career-high 40 points in lifting the Griffins past short-handed Cuyamaca, 69-58, in Saturday's (Jan. 28) Pacific Coast Conference contest.

The Coyotes paid close attention to slowing Grossmont's guards, especially a key match-up among shooting guards, as Cuyamaca's AMY HOYT held BRIGAYLE IGLEHART of Grossmont to just two points in the first half.

Grossmont still led at the intermission, 36-26, behind 24 points by Henry. And when Cuyamaca trimmed the margin to a single point with 12 minutes to play, Henry took over underneath. With several Coyotes in foul trouble, the sophomore from Mount Miguel downed 5-of-6 shots to allow the Griffins(14-12 overall, 3-2 PCC) to pull away, gaining a three-way share of second place in the conference.

Cuyamaca (8-10, 1-4) eventually finished with just four players on the court, with two players fouling out, while DAWNNELLA NELSON left in the first half with a severe knee strain. Prior to the contest, the Coyotes also learned about the loss of CHRISTINA DAWSON for the rest of the season, also with knee woes.

Meanwhile, the Grossmont defense helped hold down the Coyotes' top scorers, too. Hoyt hit just a single basket -- a 3-pointer -- all contest, yet finished with 12 points after going 9-for-10 at the foul line.

RAWAA PATROS recorded a team-best 16 points, followed by 15 by MICHELLE THOMPSON, who also grabbed 12 rebounds before fouling out. In addition, Christine Tillman had 11 points and a game-best 18 boards.

Iglehart finished with 9 points for Grossmont, followed by HEATHER THOMAS' seven points, while MARLA MASON and GABBY PASSENTINO had four each.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-26-06) -- The last time Grossmont College hosted San Diego Mesa, guard HEATHER THOMAS registered the key steal in the final minutes to lift the Griffins to victory.

In this season's match-up of community college teams, which each fields a mixture of players from both local high school districts, Thomas came through with the clutch plays on offense and defense down the stretch once again. It was enough to lift Grossmont to a 62-53 victory over the Olympians, the co-leaders of the Pacific Coast Conference.

"It took heart and we played smart," noted Thomas. "Nobody on this team likes sitting on the bench -- we just really wanted to win."

The sophomore from Santana nailed an important 3-point shot with 5:38 remaining, pushing the Grossmont advantage to 51-43 to halt Mesa's 9-2 scoring run. Thomas then made two decisive plays on defense.

First, Thomas took the charge on former Sultans teammate COURTNEY ASH on her drive to the basket, forcing a turnover with 2:01 left. Then Thomas raced under the basket to get the first of two consecutive offensive rebounds -- BRIGAYLE IGLEHART recorded the other one -- as Grossmont held possession of the ball for over a minute before Mesa finally fouled Thomas with 58.9 seconds to go.

Thomas hit both foul shots, then added two more from the line with 14.7 seconds left to score all of her seven points in the final six minutes to seal the victory.

The see-saw game saw eight lead changes in the first half, as Mesa center ERIKA HENDRICKSON controlled the middle. She scored 10 of her game-high 15 points in the first half, while grabbing 10 of her 19 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.

However, Hendrickson was limited to just a single bucket in the second half thanks to the defensive effort of Griffins center KAYLA HENRY. So when the Olympians went to their guards for scoring late, the shooting touch wasn't there as the Mesa backcourt went just 7-for-22 in the second half.

Ash's hometown return was marred by a 1-for-16 shooting performance before fouling out, although her lone basket did come late to cut the Grossmont lead to 55-51 with 2:49 remaining before Thomas caught her with her head down for the player-control foul on the charge.

Iglehart countered by draining a baseline jumper, part of her 10 points as she spent long stretches on the bench with foul difficulties. Meanwhile, LAURA FELICE stepped in to drop four treys, part of her team-high 12 points

MARLA MASON added seven points for Grossmont, which moved within a game of the Olympians in the PCC standings. TEXAS MITCHELL added six points and a game-best four assists, while GABBY PASSENTINO scored five before fouling out.

Whitney Berg tallied 11 points for Mesa, while Leah Knights added 10 points.

Palomar 72, Cuyamaca 56 -- The Coyotes held the lead for most of the first half before falling to the Comets at the Palomar Dome. But head coach TAUFIK SOROUR has more worrisome problems than this Pacific Coast Conference setback.

"Because of health concerns, we rotated just six players tonight, which made it difficult to keep up with a solid and disciplined Palomar squad, particularly their backcourt," noted Sorour. "Then we got into some foul trouble."

Heading the list was freshman RAWAA PATROS with three first-half fouls. But her future status is unknown as the guard is battling a possible stress fracture heading into Saturday's game with intra-district rival Grossmont.

Still, after trailing at the half, 32-23, the Coyotes cut the lead to seven with three minutes remaining before the Comets pulled away.

Patros finished with 12 points, while AMY HOYT topped both teams with 23 points, shooting 12-for-13 at the foul line.

KESIA WILLIAMS added eight points, while forwards MICHELLE THOMPSON and CHRISTINE TILLMAN combined to grab 26 rebounds to counter one of Palomar's strength, scoring on putback baskets.

Griffins guard Marla Mason (right) blocks the path of Palomar's Danielle Levasseur with good quickness on defense. (Photo by Frank Gregorek)

Buick Invitational tickets available through Griffins basketball

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-24-06) -- If you still haven't purchased tickets to this week's PGA Buick Invitational, you still have time to gain your admission as a substantial discount.

Head coach KAREN CAIRES announced that the Grossmont College women's basketball team is selling tickets to this year's event, which will be held at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla. Regular admission is $23 for any of the four days of the event (plus Wednesday's Pro-Am), but you can purchase your tickets through the Griffins for only $15 -- a savings of $8 per admission.

To purchase your tickets, contact the athletic department office at 644-7412, or get them at Wednesday's (Jan. 25) Griffins home game against San Diego Mesa, which starts at 7 p.m. at the Grossmont College Gymnasium.

East County Sports.com
IMPERIAL (1-22-06) -- Riding a hearty wave following BRIGAYLE IGLEHART's rare quadruple-double in a victory earlier in the week, Grossmont College was within four minutes of handing host Imperial Valley College just its second Pacific Coast Conference loss since 2003. But the lead crumbled away.

The Arabs overcame a 4-point deficit to stun Grossmont, 75-68, maintaining its share of the PCC lead with Mesa, who earlier nipped Palomar, 52-47. In the other PCC contest, Cuyamaca whipped Southwestern, 77-62.

KAYLA HENRY registered a career-high 32 points, including a 6-for-8 performance at the foul line with her 1-handed free throws. The sophomore from Mount Miguel High also hauled down 10 rebounds to complete her double-double.

"IVC came out and played a zone against us," said Griffins coach KAREN CAIRES, who noted she was surprised by the strategy. "So Kayla kept attacking and getting the ball inside for good shots. She played great."

Imperial Valley guard Ivy Smith, the conference's leading scorer, matched Henry with 32 points, while Whitney Williams added 22. However, with the Arabs on the ropes, it was their defense which keyed the comeback, forcing four late giveaways for transition baskets and crashing the class for several offensive rebounds for second-chance points in the final minutes.

The Arabs have now captured 22 of their last 23 conference contests.

LAURA FELICE scored 15 points for the Griffins, while Iglehart added 12.

Grossmont hosts Mesa on Wednesday (Jan. 25), then completes the first rung of PCC play with a road game at district rival Cuyamaca next Saturday (Jan. 28). Both contests start at 7 p.m.

Coyotes stock rises 33 percent

East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (1-22-06) -- Following a collection of just three conference wins over five previous seasons, the next step in the turnaround of the Cuyamaca College women's basketball program occurred Saturday (Jan. 21) after RAWAA PATROS poured home 32 points in the Coyotes' 77-62 decision over visiting Southwestern.

Cuyamaca (8-8 overall, 1-2 PCC) entered the contest with a 3-49 all-time record in the conference, but after going 7-6 in the preseason -- the school's first winning record in non-conference affairs -- the Coyotes mounted a 20-point lead and coasted to their easiest victory against a community college opponent since Opening Night.

AMY HOYT added 19 points for Cuyamaca, MICHELLE THOMPSON scored 12, while DAWNNELLA NELSON posted seven assists. In addition, Japan exchange student YUKO TERAO capped the victory with another NBA distance 3-point shot.

The pair of players from Mar Vista High led the Jaguars (2-16, 0-3) as Leyondra Guion scored 16, and Claudia Ibarra had 15.

With the victory, Cuyamaca is assured of registering the best record in the 6-year history of the program.

Dealing a Quad

Griffins freshman guard Brigayle Iglehart's statline: 28 points, 13 rebounds, 11 steals & 10 assists for a quadruple-double.

What a poker hand: Iglehart deals a Quad!
Feat believed to be second quadruple-double in
San Diego County history

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-19-06) -- There may never have been an individual performance in the 30-plus year history of Grossmont College women's basketball than the show put on Wednesday (Jan. 18) night by Griffins guard BRIGAYLE IGLEHART.

The sophomore's game-high total of 28 points was stellar, and she's produced several double-doubles this season, including her 13 rebounds to lead Grossmont to an easy 95-37 victory over visiting Southwestern.

No, this outing was even better.

Iglehart once again proved unselfish by dishing out 10 assists and recording 11 steals, becoming the first Grossmont player to ever complete a rare quadruple-double to get the Griffins back on track in the Pacific Coast Conference race.

The quad is believed to be the second in San Diego County community college women's basketball history, matching the feat of La'Koi Wooten of Palomar in 1985.

With eight minutes left, the bench was readily aware of the possible feat, as Iglehart was four assists short of a triple-double. But when the University City High product registered three quick steals during a 3-minute stretch -- giving her 10 thefts for the contest for her second triple-double of the season -- that's when the bench told the players on the court that there were more important accomplishments than scoring 100 points.

LAURA FELICE, who scored all of her 12 points off the bench by hitting the 3-point shot, drained consecutive treys to move Iglehart within striking distance. But then the Griffins missed a pair of open shots off her strong passes, perhaps leaving Iglehart one helper short of the milestone.

However, guard HEATHER THOMAS capped a career-high 27-point performance by taking an Iglehart feed just to the left of the top of the key, dropping in her fifth trey of the ballgame with 2:02 remaining to ignite a short celebration.

Grossmont head coach KAREN CAIRES immediately called time out to take Iglehart out of the game, who was mobbed by teammates (and not to run-up the score on the Jaguars) at the bench.

The accomplishment took the spotlight off nice outings by guard MARLA MASON, who recorded five assists and six steals, and center KAYLA HENRY, who scored 16 points and also stole the ball six times. The thefts were part of a total of 41 turnovers by Southwestern (2-16 overall, 0-2 PCC) many of which were forced by the Griffins (12-11, 1-1).

Andrea Aguilar led the Jaguars with 12 points before leaving the game briefly with a bloody nose after getting smacked in the face during a battle on the floor for a loose ball. Forward Leyondra Guion added 11 points for Southwestern.

San Diego Mesa 59, Cuyamaca 58 -- The Coyotes held a late 5-point lead, but when three starters fouled out in the final minutes, the Olympians closed the contest with the game's final six points, capped by an Ashley Shephard (Santana High) free throw with four seconds remaining to snap a tie.

RAWAA PATROS paced Cuyamaca with 29 points, while CHRISTINE TILLMAN added nine points, 15 rebounds and six steals, but the breakthrough victory to move up in the Pacific Coast Conference standings fell through the Coyotes' fingers.

After trailing throughout most of the first half, the Coyotes caught the Olympians and pushed their own lead to eight. However, when starter after starter were forced to sit due to fouls, Mesa (12-10 overall, 2-0 PCC) was able to rally late.

"The fouls were real unfortunate calls -- but I don't want to get into that," said head coach TAUFIK SOROUR. "It was just a heart-breaker to lose."

"All I know is that our defense was good and we gave Mesa a hard time."

MICHELLE THOMPSON posted 10 points for the Coyotes (7-8 overall, 0-2 PCC), while AMY HOYT added eight points.

Grossmont College center Kayla Henry is coverged upon by three Palomar defenders, yet scores two of her 21 points Saturday's Pacific Coast Conference opener. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Palomar's big first half too much for the Griffins

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-15-06) -- As well as Grossmont College played in the second half, it didn't offset a forgetable performance in the first half. Although BRIGAYLE IGLEHART posted 24 of her career and team season-high 30 points in the second half, the Griffins couldn't rally from a 17-point halftime deficit in falling to Palomar, 68-61, in Saturday's (Jan. 14) Pacific Coast Conference opener.

Shooting, rebounding and defense -- the Comets held the upper hand in every category over the first 20 minutes, jumping to a quick 23-10 lead before expanding the margin to 39-22 by the intermission. Latoria Morrissette was 4-for-4 from the floor during the run, scoring 10 of her 15 points for Palomar.

However, when Morrissette fouled out with 4:05 remaining, the already kindling comeback of the Griffins was ignited.

Iglehart almost single-handedly took charge of the ballgame, including a series of 12 points, three steals and a pair of assists over a 4-minute stretch, cutting the deficit to 71-57 with 2:04 left. The Comets halted the streak by sinking 7-of-10 foul shots; the Griffs were just 9-for-20 at the line.

KAYLA HENRY was solid inside, sinking 10-of-15 shots for 21 points while grabbing nine boards, despite the Comets efforts to use double-coverage on her. However, no one else could take advantage of the openings, as the rest of the team managed just 10 points.

Imperial Valley 87, Cuyamaca 59-- No report.

East County Sports.com
SAN DIMAS (1-13-06) -- Freshman guard RAWAA PATROS poured home a career-high and school record 43 points, leading Cuyamaca College to an 85-29 conquest of Life Pacific College. The victory gives the Coyotes (7-6 overall) a season sweep of the Warriors, after downing them at home, 81-43, back on Nov. 14

Patros collected 29 of her points in the second half to complete the rout. The guard now has burned the nets for 73 points over her last two outings, after earlier establishing a personal-best with 30 points against Saddleback to close the calendar year.

Cuyamaca opens the Pacific Coast Conference season Saturday, again on the road against two-time defending PCC champion Imperial Valley. The game starts at 5 p.m., followed by the men's contest between Grossmont and the Arabs.

Meanwhile, the Grossmont women open PCC play at home to Palomar at 7 p.m., while the first-place Cuyamaca men starts a stretch of four-out-of-five on the road with a contest at San Diego Mesa, also at 7 p.m.

Give her a hand

Grossmont College center Kayla Henry with one of her one-handed foul shots. (Photo by Frank Gregorek)

Lassen rallies to shock Grossmont in final tune-up

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-7-06) -- This wasn't the way the Grossmont Griffins wanted to enter next week's Pacific Coast Conference opener.

After leading Lassen College by as many as 13 points in the first half Friday (Jan. 6), the Griffins utilized almost their entire bench to give the reserves valuable playing time. However, the Cougars took control of the ballgame, so by the time the starters returned, the momentum never was halted as the visitors from Susanville scored a shocking 67-60 non-conference victory.

Grossmont looked to be in cruise control leading 23-10, as LAURA FELICE drained one of her four 3-balls to cap a 9-0 scoring run to mount a substantial cushion with 6:12 left before intermission. However, the Cougars scored the final six points of the half to move within 31-27, then scored three straight baskets to open the second half to move in front, 33-31.

Cougars guards Jaszmen Steele and Lucinda Gurrola then took control by taking the ball to the basket, as the short-handed Griffins, who were missing starting forward GABBY PASSENTINO (wisdom teeth extraction), could never adjust inside.

KAYLA HENRY scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the first half for Grossmont (11-10), but the team shot just 27 percent from the floor (9-for-33) and committed 13 turnovers in the second half to open the door for Lassen (13-10).

Grossmont briefly assumed a late lead at 57-56 on a pair of Henry foul shots with 2:50 left, but Steele answered with a short jumper along the baseline with 2:30 to go, triggering an 11-3 run to close the contest.

The Griffins open PCC play next Saturday (Jan. 14) by hosting Palomar. The Comets defeated Lassen earlier in the week, 81-69. Plus, Grossmont needs a fast start to the conference slate, playing three of its first four games at home before closing with four out of six on the road.

Putback basket

Grossmont College forward Gabriela Passentino scores after grabbing an offensive rebound to help the Griffins down visiting College of the Siskiyous. (Photo by Frank Gregorek)

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-5-06) -- With a pair of starters either out of the lineup or seeing limited action due to illness, Grossmont College saw its reserves pick up the slack in the second half Wednesday (Jan. 4), helping the Griffins break a halftime deadlock to defeat visiting College of the Siskiyous, 64-49, in non-conference action.

LAURA FELICE nailed a series of 3-balls for nine points, while TEXAS MITCHELL posted a pair of important assists for Grossmont to gain some separation from the Screamin' Eagles, plus a pair of late steals to seal the victory.

"We feed our offense out of our defense," noted Mitchell, who made a strong baseline pass leading to a 3-point play by GABBY PASSENTINO. "We all had to step up and take the place of our starters."

Passentino, suffering from problems with her wisdom teeth, came off the bench to score 16 points, including a key basket after Siskiyous moved to within 49-44 with 11:17 remaining. Meanwhile, MARLA MASON didn't even suit up because of the flu.

However, the Griffins (11-9) were able to generate open shots to close the contest on a 15-5 run, moving two games above .500 for the first time all season. In addition, they share the best non-conference record among Pacific Coast Conference ballclubs with defending champion Imperial Valley.

"We needed to have more confidence on offense, so making some shots helped," noted Felice, who was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the second half. "Our defense kept us in the game until we could take the momentum to the offense."

Grossmont built a 25-15 first-half lead, as center KAYLA HENRY drained six straight shots as part of her game-high 24 points. However, numerous turnovers allowed the Eagles (11-8) to catch the Griffins by intermission at 32-all.

However, Passentino's 3-point play triggered a streak of 12 straight points. Included was a steal by BRIGAYLE IGLEHART, who threw the ball downcourt to a wide-open Mitchell for a layin. Henry took a Mitchell feed for a 6-footer, then on an inbounds play with three seconds left on the shot clock, not only did Iglehart find Henry open for another layin, she was fouled for yet another 3-point play.

Iglehart, the team's scoring leader, overcame an off-shooting night (7 points) by passing for 12 assists and registering six steals and three blocked shots to still make a major contribution.

Emily Martin paced Siskiyous with 20 points before fouling out with 2:47 left, but after the Grossmont lead again reached double digits. Chelsea Kuehner added 11 points, including eight in the first half when the Eagles shot 15-for-29 (52 percent) from the field, but left the court even due to 14 turnovers.

The annual meeting with Golden Valley Conference schools from the extreme north end of California wil continue Friday, as the Griffins entertain Lassen College at 7 p.m.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-31-05) -- With many of her former teammates in attendance, former El Cajon Valley High guard RAWAA PATROS put on a shooting display for the Braves. Patros drained seven 3-balls in the first half alone, going on to score a collegiate career-high 30 points to power Cuyamaca College to a 70-62 pasting of visiting Saddleback in Friday's (Dec. 30) non-conference game.

Patros sank 7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc in the first half to keep the Coyotes in the game, as Saddleback held a 35-32 halftime lead. But when Cuyamaca (6-6) made several adjustments to bring the rest of the team into the offense, Patros only needed to make one other trey, as three others hit the long-distance shots to extend and finally tire-out the Gauchos.

For the ballgame, Cuyamaca sank 14-of-31 (45 percent) of its 3-point shots, including 8-of-13 by Patros.

"I came out early to practice on my free throws, but I was hitting my threes, too, and I kept hitting them all day long," said Patros, who put on a show for her former Braves teammates. "It was just one of those days."

Meanwhile, MICHELLE THOMPSON, another El Cajon Valley alum, produced a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She was especially effective on the boards by preventing second-chance opportunities by Saddleback, as the Gauchos only mustered four offensive boards in the second half to give the Coyotes the chance to run with the ball downcourt.

"We decided to finally play defense," noted Thompson. "We got our man and stuck with them, not relying on help from anyone else."

KESIA WILLIAMS scored 10 of her 17 points in the second half for Cuyamaca, while also adding a game-high five assists and registering a pair of steals. Down the stretch, Thompson prevented any Saddleback comeback thoughts by going a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line, as the Coyotes shot 91 percent (10-for-11) on their free throws.

Note: Next week's scheduled home game with Feather River College has been canceled, which leaves Cuyamaca without any home games until Jan. 21 -- more than three weeks on the road, including a pair of Pacific Coast Conference contests to open the league slate, featuring a trip to defending PCC champion Imperial Valley.

Thursday's Scores Championship Mt. San Jacinto 57, Citrus 55 Third Place San Diego Mesa 62, Bakersfield 57 Consolation Final Grossmont 60, Compton 53 All-Tournament Team Ferrari Funches, MtSJC (MVP) Lashay Bagsby, Bakersfield Nicole Cunningham, Citrus Brigayle Iglehart, Grossmont Britney iredale, MtSJC Alexis Pope, Citrus Ashley Shephard, SD Mesa

Griffins wear down Compton,
finally claim tournament trophy

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-30-05) -- Following a series of tournament appearances throughout the Southland, Grossmont College had come close to collecting a trophy, only to run into one pothole or another to prevent a trip to the victory platform. However, the Griffins finally took another step forward to gain a walk of pride to the centerline for postgame ceremonies and collect a piece of hardware.

Behind 13 points and six assists from all-tournament selection BRIGAYLE IGLEHART, the Griffins took advantage of short-handed Compton College to claim a 60-53 triumph over the 11th-ranked Tartars, earning the consolation championship Thursday (Dec. 29) at the 18th annual Grossmont Holiday Classic.

"We've come close so many times, but I think we finally made the jump," said Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES. "We had reached a plateau, but we showed a lot of team cohesiveness and now we have something to show for it."

In two previous final-day contests at the Irvine Valley and Antelope Valley tournaments, the Griffins lost in the final two minutes of play. This time, they made sure history wouldn't mirror past results.

With Compton limited to just five starters and no substitutes due to weather and transportation problems to return players from holiday travel, Grossmont played up-tempo on offense by pushing the ball, then would throw in an occasional press when the Tartars tried to hold the ball and work the shot clock.

And when 6-foot-4 center Krystal Carothers (10 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks) fouled out with 3:17 remaining, the Tartars last chance to rally from a 51-44 deficit disappeared, as Grossmont gladly exchanged easy baskets to run out the clock.

"Compton has speed, athleticism and talent," added Caires. "But with five girls gone, it was up to us to dictate the tempo."

The Griffins came out gunning, jumping to a quick 16-5 advantage in the first six minutes. Included were a pair of 3-balls by Iglehart, while GABBY PASSENTINO added two layins, one for a traditional 3-point play.

Compton moved even early in the second half, but KAYLA HENRY started to take command inside when the tiring Carothers began collecting fouls. Henry muscled inside for one of her team-high 14 rebounds, scoring the putback while being fouled for a 38-33 lead.

Sophomore guard HEATHER THOMAS followed with one of her trio of 3-balls among her nine points, then Thomas passed to TERI BAILEY for a short jumper to claim a 10-point lead.

The Griffins (10-9) then displayed their improving defense, as Iglehart, Henry and MARLA MASON registered three steals each, while Henry, Iglehart (13) and Passentino (12) all reached double figures on the boards, giving the G-House a 53-48 rebounding advantage over the bigger Tartars (15-6).

In other tournament action, FERRARI FUNCHES, a former player for El Cajon Valley and Helix high schools, earned tournament MVP honors to lead Mt. San Jacinto to the championship after nipping Citrus, 57-55.

Eagles teammate Britney Iredale also earned an all-tournament berth after scoring totals of 27, 27 and 29 points over the three contests. Iredale's 83 points equals the tournament record set in the 1980s by San Diego Mesa all-state center Janine Phillips (Kearny High), a player who later won an NCAA Division II title with Cal Poly Pomona.

In the third-place contest, Mesa built a 10-point halftime lead, then hung on to best Bakersfield, 62-57.

Other members of the all-tournament team included: Nicole Cunningham and Alexis Pope of Citrus; Kashay Bagsby of Baskersfield; and Ashley Shephard of San Diego Mesa.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-29-05) -- KAYLA HENRY and BRIGAYLE IGLEHART each scored 18 points Wednesday (Dec. 28), lifting the Grossmont College Griffins to the final round of their own 18th annual Holiday Tournament by whipping Saddleback, 67-37, in the consolation semifinals. The Griffins (9-9) will host short-handed Compton in the consolation final at noon.

After Saddleback leading scorer Yuma Nishigaki (10 points) drained a 3-ball to move the Gauchos to within 13-12 in the early going, it was all Griffins, who responded with the game's next 15 consecutive points to put this one away early.

Following a quick 30-second timeout to adjust the defense, Saddleback wouldn't score over a 4-minute span, when guard MARLA MASON registered three of her team season-high nine steals, while Iglehart added two thefts during the stretch.

Meanwhile, Iglehart burned Saddleback with a pair of inbounds passes from under the basket, each time finding a cutting Henry for easy layins. Henry scored 13 of her points in the first half. Both players also completed double-doubles by grabbing rebounds, as Iglehart had 12 boards while Henry had 11 caroms, as Grossmont dominated the glass with a 48-20 advantage.

The defense then completely shut down Saddleback (3-12) in the second half, limiting the Gauchos to just 13 points on 6-for-25 shooting.

Forward GABBY PASSENTINO added 10 points and seven boards for the Griffins, who advance to meet Compton in the consolation final. The 14th-ranked Tartars (15-5) staved off Golden West, 61-53, to advance following its first-round upset loss to San Diego Mesa a day earlier. Conpton brought only five of 10 listed players to the tournament, as four others flew to Chicago for the holidays.

In other tournament action, Mt. San Jacinto and Citrus advanced to the 4 p.m. championship contest following victories. The Eagles rallied late to skate past Bakersfield, 53-45, while the Owls blew out Mesa's Olympians in the second half, expanding a 3-point halftime lead to a 71-54 conquest. Bakersfield and Mesa play for third place at 2 p.m.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-28-05) -- A calculated risk by the Grossmont College coaching staff back-fired after keeping leading scorer BRIGAYLE IGLEHART on the court with three first-half fouls in Tuesday's (Dec. 27) opening round of the 18th annual Grossmont Holiday Tournament.

When the sophomore guard collected a fourth foul with just 6.2 seconds left before intermission, Mt. San Jacinto College took advantage with Iglehart on the bench, outscoring the Griffins, 12-4 to start the second half and rolling on to a 71-62 decision.

Grossmont held a 38-27 advantage when Iglehart collected her third foul, but playing with caution, the Griffins' offense stalled, as the Eagles closed the half on a 9-0 run to move within a bucket. The scoring streak extended to 21-4 sans Iglehart over a 15:24 span as no one else on the Griffins could pick up the slack.

Britney Iredale scored 23 of her game-high 27 points in the second half for the Eagles (6-5), while FERRARI FUNCHES, a former player at El Cajon Valley and Helix high schools, added 23 points and nine rebounds.

KAYLA HENRY paced Grossmont (8-9) with 17 points and eight rebounds, followed by 15 by Iglehart in just 21 minutes of action. TERI BAILEY came off the bench and hit four of her first five shots, finishing with 11 points and six boards.

Grossmont will meet Saddleback in Wednesday (Dec. 28) consolation semifinals at 4 p.m. The Gauchos fell to Bakersfield, 74-51. In the other half of the bracket, Citrus ripped Golden West, 68-39, while San Diego Mesa upset No. 12 Compton, 64-57, as the Tartars suited only five players, with four members of the team in Chicago for the holidays.

L.A. Pierce 75, Cuyamaca 56 -- No report from the host Coyotes.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-23-05) -- While the rest of the nation goes into its annual deep freeze, Grossmont College welcomed the change of seasons as though they were in the Southern Hemisphere -- as hot as the summer.

The Griffins knocked down 14 of their first 16 shots from the floor, building a 30-11 lead just eight minutes into Thursday's (Dec. 22) non-conference contest, rocking visiting East Los Angeles, 82-56, at the G-House.

And this was no layup derby by Grossmont -- hitting shots at a maddening 150-point clip in leaving behind the guests from Monterey Park.

BRIGAYLE IGLEHART drained a pair of mid-range jumpers, MARLA MASON made five straight shots including a trey, while KAYLA HENRY downed 9-of-11 shots in the first half, all despite the best of efforts by the Huskies.

"We shot the lights out in the first half," noted Griffins head coach KAREN CAIRES. "We just sizzled."

No one was hotter than Iglehart. After her early scoring binge, Iglehart raised her play a notch by then shooting the 3-ball, scorching the net by hitting all five of her shots from the beyond the arc. Iglehart finished with game-highs of 27 points, 14 rebounds and six steals, helping Grossmont (8-8) mount a 51-28 halftime advantage.

Although the Griffins started the second half slowly offensively, the defense kept East L.A. (9-7) at bay. The defenders finished with a season-best 20 steals, including five by Mason, three from Henry, while guard HEATHER THOMAS had two thefts and blocked a shot.

"We still have to get more consistent game-to-game and half-to-half," added an obviously pleased Caires. "But we're on our way to getting there."

Henry finished with a career-best 10-12 shooting for 22 points, Mason posted 15, while forward GABRIELA PASSENTINO scored eight of nine points in the second half after the Huskies trimmed a 26-point deficit down to 15 with 9:15 remaining.

Passentino scored consecutive layins off passes by TEXAS MITCHELL (5 assists) and Thomas, scoring the first six points of a 13-1 scoring run to allow the Griffins to level their overall record.

For East L.A. (9-7), forward Wendy Najera led with 15 points, while reserve Marian Dedeian added 13. Huskies leading scorer Adriana Lopez, the center, was held to nine points on 3-for-9 shooting, although she did grab 10 boards.

For the ballgame, Grossmont shot 54.1 percent from the field, including a remarkable 22-for-32 (68.8 percent) in the first half. East L.A. was 19-for-59 (32.2 percent).

East County Sports.com
LANCASTER (12-18-05) -- Following a pair of overtime contests, Grossmont College slowly ran out of gas while playing its third game in as many days at the Clear Channel Tournament at Antelope Valley College.

Despite leading 27-24 at the half to Moorpark, a team the Griffins defeated during the second week of the season, the team had nothing left for Saturday's (Dec. 17) second half as the Raiders claimed a 59-54 decision in the consolation championship contest.

The Grossmont front line did fine, as KAYLA HENRY registered a game-high 18 points, while GABBY PASSENTINO added 11 points and a game-best eight rebounds, But the lack of energy proved noticeable from the backcourt players, who didn't have the legs to make their 3-point shots, knocking down just 4-of-21 from beyond the arc.

MARLA MASON added nine points for the Griffins (7-8) before fouling out, while BRIGAYLE IGLEHART added eight points and seven boards.

For Moorpark (6-10), Sarah Ruiz scored 17 points to land an all-tournament berth.

Santa Barbara claimed the tournament title by whipping the host Marauders, 56-46, snapping Antelope Valley's 22-game home winning streak dating back to the final of the 2003 Clear Channel Tournament.

Meanwhile, Imperial Valley's Ivy Smith set five tournament records in leading the Arabs (7-7) past Fullerton, 72-59, for third place.

Read what the Victor Valley Daily Press reported on this game HERE.

Victor Valley 69, Cuyamaca 54 -- Seven weeks into the season, the host Rams (4-7) finally played their first home game after opening the season with 11 straight road contests. And with a pair of starters just returning to the Cuyamaca lineup but not at 100 percent, Victor Valley raced to an early 17-point lead by holding the Coyotes to just 12 points in the first half to coast to an easy victory.

RAWAA PATROS paced Cuyamaca (5-5) with 14 points, MICHELLE THOMPSON added 12 and AMY HOYT had nine.

East County Sports.com
LANCASTER (12-17-05) -- For the second consecutive day at the Clear Channel Holiday Tournament, Grossmont College was forced to play overtime, but this time the Griffins came out on top.

The usual one-two punch of BRIGAYLE IGLEHART (23 points) and KAYLA HENRY (21 points) pushed the Griffs to a 76-68 decision over College of the Desert. The tiring Griffins swept the Roadrunners by 21 points two weeks ago, but following an overtime setback to Santa Barbara in the opening round, they quickly fell behind by as many as 17 points in the first half and were looking up at a 45-30 halftime deficit. COD guard Crystal Gonzalez tied a tournament with five 3-balls in the opening 20 minutes.

However, the Griffins (7-7) found their legs in the second half, outscoring COD, 34-19, then 12-4 in the extra period by hitting 5-for-5 at the foul line. Meanwhile, the Grossmont defense limiting the Roadrunners to just 4-for-20 shooting in the second half, then only a single basket in the extra five minutes.

Henry led both teams with 14 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, whilke MARLA MASON added 10 points and nine boards before fouling out. Iglehart also fueled the offense with seven assists.

Grossmont finds itself in another rematch in Saturday's consolation final by taking on Moorpark, which whipped Golden West. Last month, the Griffins downed the Raiders by six points.

East County Sports.com
LANCASTER (12-16-05) -- KAYLA HENRY scored a game-high 21 points -- the second-highest total over all four games -- but the Griffins fell in the opening round of the Clear Channel Tournament to Santa Barbara City College, 64-62 in overtime, at Antelope Valley College.

Henry connected on 8-of-14 shots from the floor, while a pair of teammates recorded double-doubles, as MARLA MASON had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and BRIGAYLE IGLEHART added 12 points and 11 boards.

However, the Vaqueros (12-4) saw 6-foot-4 center Jessica Romero control the contest with 21 boards to finally slow down the Griffins (6-7), who shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, but was limited to just 11-for-39 shooting the rest of the way, including 3-of-9 in the overtime period.

Grossmont will meet College of the Desert in Friday's (Dec. 16) 1:30 p.m. consolation semifinals; the Roadrunners fell to Fullerton, 52-38. The other scores saw Imperial Valley's Ivy Smith set a tournament record with 37 points to lead the Arabs past Moorpark, 63-51, while the host Marauders downed Golden West, 52-45.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-11-05) -- Playing at less than 100 percent, Cuyamaca College needed to go with a predominately freshmen lineup and that lack of experience proved costly down the stretch Saturday (Dec. 10), as Cerro Coso College nipped the Coyotes, 63-58, in the final of the Cuyamaca Classic basketball tournament.

"It was very close all game with several lead changes down to the last two minutes, but we couldn't hold on," head coach TAUFIK SOROUR. "Without being 100 percent today, we fought hard, defended well, and earned a few chances to beat a very solid team."

" I am very very happy with the progress we are making as a team and as individual players."

Cuyamaca (5-3) utilized just one sophomore in its rotation, as starters DAWNELLA NELSON and RAWAA PATROS received limited playing time due to minor injuries.

"Without them, it made it even more difficult to handle a very good Cerro Coso team-one of the toughest we have faced all season," added Sorour.

For Cuyamaca's Coyotes, AMY HOYT and MICHELLE THOMPSON were named to the all-tournament team. Hoyt poured in a game-high 23 points, while Thompson posted 12 points and 11 rebounds.

In addition, KESIA WILLIAMS sparked the Coyotes with 11 points, and CHRISTINE TILLMAN had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

For Cerro Coso's Coyotes, Angel Lash was named tournament MVP after scoring 14 points. Teammate Darshele Lynch led Cerro Coso with 15 points. In the third place contest, Victor Valley downed L.A. City, 69-62.

Merced 54, Grossmont 48 -- The Griffins fell to the Blue Devils in the consolation final of the Ivvine Valley Tournament. No information was reported on individual performances by the Griffins.

The host and 12th-ranked Lazers captured the tournament by stopping No. 10 Compton, 66-63, as Vanessa Dominguez (22 points, 13 rebounds and seven steals in final) was tabbed the event's MVP.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-10-05) -- After struggling through its basketball history, Cuyamaca College has suddenly emerged with the best record among Pacific Coast Conference schools at 5-2, including Friday's (Dec. 9) 64-55 decision over Victor Valley in the opening round of the Cuyamaca Classic.

The triumph advances thr Coyotes to the championship game, which is schedule for Saturday at 10 a.m. against Cerro Coso, which surprised L.A. City, 73-66. Because of teams' travel schedules, the third place contest will follow the title game.

Victor Valley, like so many other teams, easily handled Cuyamaca last season, but the Coyotes gained revenge on yet another team after AMY HOYT poured home a game-high 23 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while grabbing 10 rebounds to register her double-double.

Hoyt also was credited stopping Victor Valley leading scorer, Elise Daughton, according to Coyotes head coach TAUFIK SOROUR.

"Daughton hurt the Coyotes in the 1st half with 14 points," noted Sorour. "So we gave Amy the assignment in the second half, and she did an excellent job shutting her down.

RAWAA PATROTS added 15 points for Cuyamaca (5-2), while MICHELLE THOMPSON had 10 points including a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line.

Meanwhile, CHRISTINE TILLMAN also shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the line, giving the Coyotes a record-setting foul shooting performance of 18-for-19 in the first half. For the game, Cuyamaca finished 25-for-30 at the line, also a school-record at 83.3 percent.

After building a 40-33 halftime lead, Victor Valley finally moved close to within 58-55 with just over a minute remaining, However, Hoyt answered with one of her 3-balls, then the defense held the Rams without a point over the final 65 seconds.

Grossmont 69, Chaffey 62 -- BRIGAYLE IGLEHART continued to be practically unstoppable, collecting 27 points, nine rebounds and seven steals to power Grossmont College past the Panthers in the consolation semifinals of the Irvine Valley Tournament.

The Griffins (6-5) will meet Merced in the consolation final. The Blue Devils, who were upset in the opening round, bounced back to topple Golden West, 61-50, behind 10 points and 12 boards by Fantasia Newsome.

East County Sports.com
IRVINE (12-9-05) -- Santa Barbara City College held off Grossmont in a hard-fought game, 62-56, thanks to 16 points and five rebounds from Jessica Romero, and 14 points, six rebounds and five assists from Jessie Mira in the opening round of the Irvine Valley Tournament.

BRIGAYLE IGLEHART had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Griffins, which will play Chaffey in Friday's consolation semifinals. The Panthers fell to the host Lazers, 94-63, as IVC guard Emily Luckeroth set a school scoring record with 35 points.

Also in the event, Mesa uoset No. 11 Merced, 69-68 in overtime, as Santana High product Courtney Ash scored 34 points, including six 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Compton whipped hapless Golden West, 88-33.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-8-05) -- Sophomore guard BRIGAYLE IGLEHART nearly completed her second triple-double of the season, falling just one steal short, yet still powering the Grossmont College women's basketball team to a 67-46 decision over College of the Desert in Wednesday's (Dec. 7) non-conference contest.

Iglehart finished with 14 points, plus game-highs of 12 rebounds, nine steals and five assists. Meanwhile, HEATHER THOMAS and KAYLA HENRY paced the Griffins with 15 points each, as Grossmont (5-4) moved above the .500 plateau.

The Griffins erupted to a quick 10-point lead, which allowed the coaching staff to permit the reserves to collect extensive playing time.

"The bench got to play a lot, which will help us in the long run, but we still committed too many turnovers," said head coach KAREN CAIRES. "But we'll work on that."

Grossmont's defense limited the Roadrunners (2-8) to just a single field goal over the game's opening 12 minutes, 54 seconds, mounting an 18-5 advantage. Included was a 9-0 run sparked by a pair of short jump shots by Henry, then a short-range basket by MARLA MASON, who added eight points.

Desert moved to within 52-41 with 4:59 remaining, but the Griffins answered with a 15-3 run to close out the victory, as the team hit their final five shots from the floor.

TEXAS MITCHELL also added eight points for Grossmont in a balanced attack.

Desert received 11 points from off the bench by Lauren Haloulos, while guard Ashlee Viveros scored 10 before fouling out.

East County Sports.com
IRVINE (12-1-05) -- The Irvine Valley College women's basketball team recorded its easiest victory of the season last week, beating Southwestern by 54 points.

On Wednesday night (Nov. 30), the Lasers might have won their toughest so far against another Pacific Coast Conference opponent. Vanessa Dominguez finished with 22 points, 18 rebounds and four steals, lifting the 9th-ranked Lasers (7-1) to a narrow 61-55 decision over visiting Grossmont in a non-conference contest.

Irvine Valley, which is also ranked fifth in Southern California, improved its record to 7-1 on the season. The Griffins slipped to 3-4 on the year, yet nearly all of their losses have come against ranked opponents.

"We knew we were going to have our hands full with them," Irvine Valley coach Julie Hanks said. â"This was a good win for us. We weren't at our best and still won. We really had to fight with everything we had for the win."

Grossmont, fighting for more balanced scoring all season, displayed a cohesive offense, especially in the second half to rally from a 14-point deficit.

BRIGAYLE IGLEHART and KAYLA HENRY paced the Griffins with 14 points each. MARLA MASON and LAURA FELICE added 12 each, including a series of four 3-balls by Felice in the second half, then HEATHER THOMAS hit a late 3-ball to trim the Lasers lead to three in the final seconds.

"We talked all week about getting more people involved in the offense and getting everybody shooting the ball," noted Griffins coach KAREN CAIRES. "We know that Brigayle and Kayla can score, but Laura gained a great deal of confidence in her shooting tonight, and HEATHER THOMAS made a big 3-point shot for us tonight, which should help her confidence, too."

However, Robin Smith made two free throws with 13.9 seconds left to seal the win for Irvine Valley.

"Vanessa had a great game," Hanks said. "It was a physical, kind of scattered game and she really stepped up and took control at times. I don't know what we would have done without her tonight."

Irvine Valley opened the second half by scoring six of the first eight points to open up a 32-20 lead. The Lasers took their largest lead of the game at 45-31 on an offensive rebound and basket by Dominguez with 11:14 remaining.

Irvine Valley led, 55-43, with 1:35 left when Grossmont made one last charge. Grossmont scored 13 points in the final 1:20 and moved within 58-55 on Thomas' 3-ball with 20 seconds to go.

"Grossmont played really hard all the way to the end," Hanks said. â"And we got a little rattled at times. I'm glad that we already had big enough lead and then made some free throws at the end to hold on."

Smith, who was plagued by foul trouble late in the first and early in the second half, finished with 12 points. Freshman forward Emily Luckeroth added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Lasers.

"Of course we wanted to win," added Caires. "But to play as well as we did against such a good time like Irvine Valley speaks volumes on how much our team has improved."

Iglehart registered another double-double, also added 10 rebounds, while Heney added seven boards.

East County Sports.com
WOODLAND HILLS (11-30-05) -- Freshman CHRISTINE TILLMAN, the sixth player on the Cuyamaca College women's basketball team, came off the bench to post career highs of 17 points and 20 rebounds, lifting the Coyotes past L.A. Pierce, 62-57, to snap a mild 2-game losing streak.

Tillman produced 11 of her boards on the offensive glass to provide Cuyamaca (4-2) with plenty of second opportunities Tuesday (Nov. 29). The host Brahmas trailed the entire second, yet did move within three, 60-57, with 10 seconds remaining and got the ball back with a chance to force overtime. However, Cuyamaca point guard KESIA WILLIAMS stole the ball back and was fouled, sinking both foul shots for the final margin of victory,

RAWAA PATROS led all scorers with 22 points for the Coyotes. Sabrina Jenkins paced Pierce with 20.

"Dawnnella Nelson, Michelle Thompson, and Kesia Williams all did a great job of frustrating Pierce's offense and sharp shooters," said Cuyamaca coach TAUFIK SOROUR. "Amy Hoyt was shaken early by a hard fall, but returned in the second half to supply us with poise and leadership."

The Coyotes will hold their annual Cuyamaca Classic next week (Fri.-Sat., Dec. 9-10). The first-round pairing find the hosts meeting Victor Valley at 4 p.m., followed by L.A. City and Cerro Coso. Saturday's contests are at 11 a.m. (third) and 1 p.m. (championship).

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-27-05) -- Grossmont College guard BRIGAYLE IGLEHART nailed 8-of-9 shots from the field en route to 20 points in the first half, but no one else could seemingly make a basket, as the Griffins fell to visiting Orange Coast, 65-48, in Saturday's non-conference contest.

Iglehart finished with 23 points and four assists, but the rest of the team shot a composite 18 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, Pirates forward Jillian Ricks, a transfer from Weber State, controlled the inside with 12 points, while Crystal McCormich drained 6-of-10 three-balls for a team-high 22 points.

Orange Coast (6-1) held a 52-37 rebounding advantage, as 6-3 center Madison Parks, a transfer from Golden West College and the younger sister of former NBA and Duke University standout Cherokee Parks, grabbed 15 boards. Grossmont fell to 3-3 overall.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-24-05) -- After missing a season due to a knee injury, it had taken Grossmont College guard BRIGAYLE IGLEHART just five contests to revert to her old form which made her an All-CIF performer at University City High.

Iglehart collected her first collegiate triple-double, registering 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, powering the Griffins to an easy 75-48 devision over visiting Saddleback in Wednesday's (Nov. 23) final game before the Thanksgiving holiday.

"We had a lot of green lights," said Iglehart, in finding players all contest long to collect a series of easy assists with her passing. "Everyone was running the offense with lots of intensity and lots of teamwork, so I was just playing my game and this is what happened."

Iglehart single-handily accounted for the score or the assist on almost every Griffins basket during a 28-10 scoring run in the first half. She first hit a 3-ball to tie the contest at 8-all, then scored a layin after HEATHER THOMAS stole the ball from the Gauchos and sent a breakaway pass ahead to Iglehart. The guard went on to drain six consecutive shots -- including a pair of 3-balls -- and register five assists during the 10-minute run to mount a 33-18 lead.

"I'm very happy with Brigayle's performance," understated Grossmont coach KAREN CAIRES on Iglehart, the team's leading scorer at 17.0 points her outing. "She's shown great improvement and distributes the ball well to get all of her teammates involved."

Three other Griffins also scored in double figures, including 16 from KAYLA HENRY, a series of four 3-point baskets as part of LAURA FELICE's 12 points, while post player GABBY PASSENTINO, who registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.

Grossmont (3-2) remains undefeated at home through three contests, next hosting Orange Coast this Saturday at 6 p.m.

Saddleback (1-5) received 17 points from Chrsitina Banks, while Jessica Walker added 16 points, but without a player over 6-feet tall, the Gauchos were whipped on the boards, as Grossmont held a 48-29 rebounding advantage.

East County Sports.com
SALINAS (11-19-05) -- The road-weary Cuyamaca Coyotes trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half, yet rallied to whip Hartnell College, 67-61, to open a three-game Northern California road swing Friday (Nov. 18).

The victory extended the Coyotes' season-opening win streak to three games, while the host Panthers fell to 0-5.

Following a 10-hour drive, Cuyamaca was down by 12 early, yet moved to within 25-23 by the intermission before the lead flip-flopped several times early in the second half. However, the Coyotes pulled away thanks to their backcourt, as RAWAA PATROS (27 points) and AMY HOYT (26) combined for 53 points from the outside.

MICHELLE THOMPSON and CHRISTINE TILLMAN provided crucial rebounding against a big and physical Hartnell team, as 6-foot-1, 230-pound center Sharde Flanigan paced the Panthers with 15 points.

Cuyamaca continues its roadtrip with contests Sunday at Los Medanos College in the East Bay city of Pittsburg, then at Cabrillo College in Aptos on Monday.

Grossmont 58, Moorpark 52 -- Mount Miguel High product KAYLA HENRY poured in 17 points while BRIGAYLE IGLEHART added 16, as the front line of the Griffins (2-1) out-muscled the visiting Raiders in Friday's (Nov. 18) non-conference game.

Henry also added 11 rebounds, while LAURA FELICE posted 10 points, including a pair of 3-point shots to stave off a rally by the Raiders (2-3). a team which earlier whipped Grossmont's Pacific Coast Conference rival Southwestern, 79-37.

East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (11-15-05) -- Former El Cajon Valley forward MICHELLE THOMPSON became the first Cuyamaca College women's basketball player to register a triple-double Monday (Nov. 14), lifting the Coyotes past Life Pacific College, 81-43.

Thompson scored 18 points, trailing only the 21 points by RAWAA PATROS for the team honors, while also grabbing 10 rebounds. But unlike most players who need double-figures in assists to gain a triple-double, it was freshman's defense which did the trick, as Thompson established a school record with 12 assists.

AMY "Red" HOYT (Granite Hills) matched Patros (El Cajon Valley) with a series of three 3-point goals as part of her 17 points among five Coyotes scoring in double figures, as KESIA WILLIAMS (Madison) added 11 and DAWNELLA NELSON (Southwest) had 10.

Life Pacific College, the former Life Bible College of San Dimas, committed 45 turnovers, including 25 in the first half to trail 43-18 at the break. The Warriors fell to 0-2, despite a team-high 12 points from Beckah Brattrod.

The Coyotes (2-0) depart on a three-game Northern California road swing on Friday, with contests at Hartnell, Los Medanos and Cabrillo colleges.

East County Sports.com
HEMET (11-12-05) -- In an early-season foul-fest, game officials tagged both teams for a combined 54 fouls, as Mt. San Jacinto won the free throw shooting contest down the stretch to nip Grossmont, 83-82, in Friday's (Nov. 11) non-conference women's basketball game.

Sophomore forward KAYLA HENRY paced the Griffins (1-1) with 26 points, BRIGAYLE IGLEHART added 17, and GABBY PASSENTINO had 16.

The Griffins host Moorpark on Friday (Nov. 18) at 6 p.m.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-10-05) -- One victory was expected and routine. The other triumph was not only a pleasant surprise, it was a record-breaker to snap a lengthy losing streak.

Indeed, Opening Night for both local community college basketball teams finished in positive fashion after Grossmont College whipped visiting Los Angeles City College, 70-48, while across town, Cuyamaca College took the first step to turning around its struggling program by whitewashing visiting Los Angeles Harbor, 88-35.

Grossmont 70, LACC 48 -- Freshman small forward BRIGAYLE IGLEHART (University City) recorded 19 points, six assists and four steals, as the Griffins shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half to mount a 38-26 lead to breeze past the Lady Cubs.

During one stretch, Iglehart hit on 6-of-7 shots, starting with a steal for a breakaway layin to snap an early 6-all tie, helping push the lead to 14 points.

"It's always nice to be 1-0," said head coach KAREN CAIRES. "This team has worked hard since August, sometimes working out as early as 6 a.m., so it paid dividends for all that effort."

Strong play from the ball handlers led to an array of easy baskets, as Iglehart, plus sophomore MARLA MASON (Chula Vista) and ALANA BARNES (Hoover) combined for 15 assists. The benefactors included forwards GABBY PASSANTINO (Santana, 13 points, 10 rebounds) and KAYLA HENRY (Mount Miguel, 10 points, 7 boards), as the Griffins extended their lead throughout.

Meanwhile, former starting point guard HEATHER THOMAS (Santana) enjoyed her move to shooting guard be canning a pair of 3-point shots to finish with 10 points from the backcourt.

"Our shot selection got better throughout the game as we settled in," added Caires.

Meanwhile, LACC was hampered without any timeouts after using its sixth and final allowed game stoppage just minutes into the second half, as the new coach for the Cubs was confused about the rule and thought each team receives four full and a pair of 30-second timeouts per half.

The Griffins travel to Mt. San Jacinto on Friday (Nov. 11), then return to play three of four at home, starting with Moorpark on Friday (Nov. 18) at 6 p.m.

Cuyamaca 88, L.A. Harbor 35 -- The only victory posted by the Coyotes last season was against a raggedy "All-Star" team in a tournament which was short a team. The school's last victory against a community college team: two seasons ago in a non-conference affair.

However, not only did Cuyamaca snap an unsightly 30-game losing streak against college teams, they posted the biggest margin of victory in school history after whipping the Seahawks by 53 points.

A pair of freshmen out of El Cajon Valley High powered the Coyotes, as RAWAA PATROS registered a game-high 24 points, including 15 in the first half to build a 44-19 lead at the intermission, while MICHELLE THOMPSON added 16 points. In addition, sophomore AMY HOYT (Granite Hills) matched Patros with a trio of 3-point goals as part of her 17 points.

"I was quite pleased with our defense and our ability to run, which is a key for us," said Cuyamaca head coach TAUFIK SOROUR. "(And winning) is a nice change."

Harbor, which traveled with just six players, was paced by Shanny Miller's 18 points.

Cuyamaca returns to action Monday (Nov. 14), hosting Life Pacific College (formerly Life Bible College) of San Dimas, starting at 6 p.m.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-8-05) -- Both East County community college women's basketball programs will open the 2005-06 season on Wednesday (Nov. 9), as Grossmont College will host Los Angeles CIty College at 5 p.m., while across town, Cuyamaca College will debut at home against Los Angeles Harbor College at 5:30 p.m.

COA Playoffs
Sat., Feb. 25th
South Regional, Second Round
Imperial Valley 83, Ventura 70

Sat., Mar. 4 -- All at 7 p.m.
South Regional, Third Round
No. 8 College of the Canyons (20-10) at No. 1 Mt. San Antonio (32-2)
No. 10 Santa Barbara (26-8) at No. 2 Riverside (26-8)
No. 11 Imperial Valley (24-9) at. No. 3 Orange Coast (26-5)
No. 5 Pasadena (23-5) at No. 4 Cypress (26-5)

Wed., Feb. 15th
Cuyamaca 69, Palomar 37
Imperial Valley 95, Southwestern 53
Grossmont 78, San Diego Mesa 67

Sat., Feb. 11th
Imperial Valley 58, Grossmont 45
Palomar 64, San Diego Mesa 60
Cuyamaca 54, Southwestern 49

Wed., Feb. 8th
Grossmont 67, Southwestern 61
San Diego Mesa 83, Cuyamaca 75
Imperial Valley 73, Palomar 53

Sat., Feb. 4th
Imperial Valley 68, Cuyamaca 55
Palomar 56, Grossmont 45
Southwestern 65, San Diego Mesa 59

Wed., Feb. 1st
Non-Conference
El Camino 70, Palomar 55

Sat., Jan. 28
Grossmont 69, Cuyamaca 58
Palomar 68, Southwestern 45
Imperial Valley 66, San Diego Mesa 43

Wed., Jan. 25
Grossmont 62, San Diego Mesa 53
Palomar 72, Cuyamaca 56
Imperial Valley 90, Southwestern 35

Sat., Jan. 21
Imperial Valley 75, Grossmont 68
Cuyamaca 77, Southwestern 62
San Diego Mesa 52, Palomar 47

Wed., Jan. 18
Grossmont 95, Southwestern 37
San Diego Mesa 59, Cuyamaca 58
Imperial Valley 74, Palomar 52 (corrected)

Sat., Jan. 14
Palomar 68, Grossmont 61
San Diego Mesa 83, Southwestern 44
Imperial Valley 87, Cuyamaca 59

Griffins forward Gabby Passentino moves inside for the basket against Cuyamaca. (Photo by Travis Downs)

GROSSMONT COLLEGE -- 2005-06 LOG
Overal Record: 17-14 overall (PCC 6-4)

Cuyamaa College Athletics Website

Grossmont College Athletics Website

Commission On Athletics

Pacific Coast Conference

Gallery

Griffins guard Brigayle Iglehart makes her move to the basket in a victory over College of the Siskiyous. (Photo by Frank Gregorek)

Grossmont head coach Karen Caires discusses stratery with her team. (Photo by Frank Gregorek)