Christina Rios

FINAL Puget Sound 54 Redlands 42 STORY

Rios, Redlands claim SCIAC crown,
land first-ever NCAA Division III bid
Face No. 13 Puget Sound in Friday's Far West opener

© East County Sports.com
NEWBERG, Ore. (3-5-10) — The University of Redlands women’s basketball team takes on No. 13 University of Puget Sound (Wash.) on Friday (Mar. 5) at George Fox University in the Bulldogs' first-ever NCAA appearance.

Sharing in that inaugural NCAA Division III playoff debut is former Grossmont High guard CHRISTINA RIOS, currently a sophomore backcourt point guard standout at Redlands.

Defense is the speedy Rios’ strong suit. The 5-foot-3 sophomore played a key role for the Bulldogs (22-5) who ranked No. 18 on the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

The Bulldogs earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships with Saturday’s (Feb. 28) 55-54 overtime win against Occidental College in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament final. Earlier this season, Redlands tied Occidental for the conference championship, garnering a 12-2 SCIAC record.

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-12-09) – JERICA WILLIAMS, a three-time All-East County pick, and San Diego State junior guard, has decided to leave the SDSU women’s basketball team. A 2006 Mount Miguel graduate, Williams played in eight games as a reserve this season for the Aztecs, averaging 3.5 points per contest.

“This was a very hard decision, but I knew it was one I had to make, because my heart isn’t in basketball anymore,” Williams said. “I want to thank coach Burns, the rest of the coaching staff, and my teammates for allowing me to represent San Diego State.”

The San Diego native played one year at UCLA, before transferring to SDSU in 2007. She appeared in 31 contests as a redshirt sophomore last season.

“We value Jerica as not only a good person, but a good player and a good teammate,” Aztecs head coach Beth Burns said. “We respect her decision and wish her nothing but the best in the future and appreciate all that Jerica and her family have given to San Diego State.”

Williams’ high school coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL seemed to be surprised but would not admit it.

“She said she wasn’t having any fun anymore and her goal right now is to finish school and get her degree,” Sandoval said.

Williams is ticketed to graduate in May.

Precious Robinson

© East County Sports.com
FREEPORT, The Bahamas (12-01-09) — The first two weeks of the season proved former Mount Miguel High standout PRECIOUS ROBINSON earned her starting role for Oklahoma State. However, the Cowgirls are still a few steps away from competing for the NCAA championship.

OSU (5-2) is off to a nice start following a pair of tournament appearances, but both times they fell in the title game.

First was a 93-72 setback to third-ranked Ohio State in the final of the Women's NIT on Nov. 22. The Cowgirls then rebounded to reach the final of the Junkanoo Jam on Grand Bahama Island, only to fall to No. 25 Michigan State, 93-90 in double overtime, this past Saturday (Nov. 28).

Robinson was asked to serve in a defensive role against the Buckeyes, successfully defending their top scorer. But against the Spartans, she was allowed to shoot more, going 3-for-5 from the field to finish with 8 points and 7 rebounds. It was Robinson's most prolific overall game of the young season after recording a season-high 14 points against Georgia Tech. then posting 6 points and 8 rebounds in a nice road win at New Mexico.

Despite Oklahoma State 's losses, Cowgirls teammate Andrea Riley was tabbed Big 12 Conference player of the week for Nov. 23-29. Meanwhile, Robinson is turning some eyes after transferring to Stillwater, Okla., after leading Central Arizona College to a perfect 35-0 record and the NJCAA national title last season.

"Precious is a tremendous athlete that can play either forward position," said OSU head coach Kurt Budke. "She has 60-plus games under her belt with a team that won a national championship this season."

"We have had great success with players from Central Arizona because they come in well disciplined and ready to play immediately."

Robinson was a first-team All-America selection for Central Arizona . Previously, she was a first-team All-CIF San Diego Section and All-East County selection for the Lady Matadors when they won their seventh consecutive Grossmont South League title in 2006-07.

Courtesy, UCSB Media Relations

Jordan Franey

GOLETA (11-12-09) — UC Santa Barbara women's basketball player and former Santana High standout JORDAN FRANEY has been selected as one of just 30 candidates nationwide for the prestigious Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

The winner is selected based on a combination of four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition; the CLASS acronym stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.

The list of candidates will be narrowed to 10 in late January and the winner of the award will be announced at the 2010 NCAA Women's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, in April.

Franey was one of just two players from the Big West to be selected as one of the 30 candidates and one of just eight players from the West Coast.

Franey, a 6-foot guard/forward was an All-Big West Honorable Mention pick last season and is the Gauchos' leading returner in points and rebounds and was selected as a candidate as much for her work on the court as in the classroom and community.

In her time at UCSB, Franey has carried a 3.38 overall grade point average while working on a major in history and a minor in athletic coaching. She has made quarterly Dean's Honors in her time at the school. Helping around the Santa Barbara and Goleta communities, Franey has been an instructor for the YMCA Winter Basketball Clinic, worked in the springtime at the Family Service Agency's Children's Festival and has been part of the team's Adopt-a-Highway project on Highway 217 leading into campus.

The Big West Freshman of the Year in 2006, Franey can become the 23rd Gaucho to reach the 1,000-point plateau this season and in her three-year career at UCSB has not missed a game.

The Gauchos will travel to San Diego on Sunday (Nov. 29) for a game against the USD Toreros at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Game time is 2 p.m.

© East County Sports.com

Precious Robinson

SAN DIEGO (7-1-09) – Two more graduates of coach ROB SANDOVAL’s highly successful Mount Miguel High girls basketball program have bounced into the NCAA Division I level after two sparkling seasons at the junior college level.

PRECIOUS ROBINSON, a 6-foot National Junior College Athletic Association All-American out of Central Arizona JC, has accepted a basketball scholarship to Big 12 power Oklahoma State University. Robinson will get a quick start to the 2009-10 season, as the Cowgirls were one of 16 teams to play in the women's preseason NIT.

"Precious is a tremendous athlete that can play either forward position," Oklahoma State’s Kurt Budke says. "She has 60-plus games under her belt with a team that won a national championship this season."

Meanwhile, MARNESHA HALL, a 6-foot front line flash, will attend San Jose State of the Western Athletic Conference in the fall.

Robinson, one of nine recruits by the Cowgirls, averaged 17 points and 10.5 rebounds per game – both team highs – for Central Arizona, which captured the NJCAA women’s basketball title with a perfect 35-0 mark a year ago.

“I’m excited to be joining a team that plays in one of the toughest conferences in the country,” Robinson said.

Recruited by dozens of schools throughout the country, Robinson said she narrowed her choices to Rutgers, USD and Oklahoma State.

“I don’t know why exactly, but I guess the two pluses Oklahoma State had over all the others was the great coaches and playing in the Big 12,” said Robinson, who hopes to eventually take her game overseas.

Hall, meanwhile, led Chipola (Fla.) JC to a third-place finish in the 2008-09 NJCAA national tournament behind Robinson’s champion Central Arizona, which finished 69-1 during her two-year stay.

“We saw Precious’ team play and they were awfully good,” Hall said.

Led by Hall, Chipola captured the Florida community collegestate championship.

“Marnesha has lost a lot of weight and has become a real force inside,” Sandoval said. “You have to like her upside. She is a nice fit at San Jose State.”

Hall turned down offers from East Tennessee State and Morgan State among others.

“They have a lot of new players, but they told me they brought me in to play right away and that is what I expect to do,” said Hall. “Whatever they have in mind, I’m ready.”

© East County Sports.com
SALINA, Kan. (3-24-09) — Former Mount Miguel standout PRECIOUS ROBINSON helped lead Central Arizona College to a 35-0 record and the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division I women’s basketball championship. The Vaqueras defeated Jefferson College of Hillsboro, Mo., 78-71 on Saturday (Mar. 21) in the championship game.

Robinson, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Jefferson, which suffered its first loss in 35 decisions.

It was the fourth NJCAA national championship for Central Arizona of Coolidge, which defeated Middle Georgia 83-66, Shelton State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) 78-58, and Kaskaskia (Centralia, Ill.), 89-54.

Robinson averaged 15 points and 11.2 rebounds in the championship tournament.

© East County Sports.com
HOUSTON (5-9-09) — Helix High graduate MELE LEASAU, who ranked among the East County scoring leaders as a senior during the 2006-07 basketball season, has accepted a scholarship to play for Houston Baptist University. The Huskies gained NCAA Division I status two years ago.

Leasau, a 6-0 forward, had played the last two seasons for Midland College, a two-year school located in Midland, Texas. With the Lady Chaps, Leasau helped the school to a 30-2 record, ranked among the top five teams nationally in the NJCAA. She averaged 5.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as a key reserve.

Leasau also received interest from Cleveland State and Lubbock Christian, but settled for Houston Baptist immediately following her on-campus visit.

"I had a lot of doubts about the school before visiting. But then I just said. 'Maybe I'll take a visit there to see how it is,' and when I went out there everything felt right," said Leasau. "The coaches were really welcoming and honest, and the girls there were very welcoming. I played with them and there was good chemistry."

Leasau noted because the Huskies' lost four of their post players, head coach Todd Buchanan is counting on her to provide solid leadership and experience next season. Houston Baptist went 8-20 this past season.

© East County Sports.com
SPRINGFIELD , Mass. (3-29-09) — The dream run for former Cuyamaca College basketball standout DAHIR NASSER and his West Regional champion Cal Poly Pomona Broncos is over. But if you're going to lose, you might as well do so in memorable fashion.

Findlay University of Ohio became just the fourth team to finish undefeated since the NCAA Division II tournament began in 1957 after Tyler Evans hit a long 3-point shot at the buzzer to claim the crown, 56-53 in overtime. The Oilers finish with a perfect 36-0 slate.

For Evans, a senior reserve guard, it was his only basket on the afternoon, televised nationally on CBS from MassMutual Center.

Nasser, who moved up the ranks to become a starting guard late in the season, played 32 minutes and scored just 2 points, yet led the team in assists. FULL GAME STORY HERE

Former Cuyamaca basketball player on TV

© East County Sports.com
POMONA (3-27-09) — Former Cuyamaca basketball player DAHIR NASSER and his Cal Poly Pomona (West Regional champions) basketball team are playing No. 1 ranked Findlay of Ohio (Midwest Regional champions) in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight national championship game on Saturday (Mar. 28) at 10 a.m.

The game will be televised from MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., by CBS Sports (Channel 8).

A 6-foot-1 junior, Nasser (No. 5) is listed as a probable starter for the Broncos. He is averaging 5.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg. Nasser was a first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference player for the Coyotes during the 2007-08 season.

Jordan Franey

© East County Sports.com
SANTA BARBARA (1-15-09) — Former Santana High standout JORDAN FRANEY came off the bench to score 13 points Wednesday (Jan. 14), including a perfect 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line down the stretch, lifting UC Santa Barbara to a 67-61 victory over Portland State at the Thunderdome.

Franey, who equaled her season high, also grabbed four rebounds. The junior seems to be flourishing in a new role – and so have the Gauchos. Following a 3-6 start, UCSB (9-6) has captured six consecutive games while Franey's playing time continues to rise for the defending Big West Conference champions.

"There are certain benchmark games to see where you are, and I thought tonight was one of those times that I was able to sit back and watch our offense a little bit and realize `They're getting it, they're getting it,'" said UCSB head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Franey shot 3-for-5 from the floor, including a 3-point goal, as the Gauchos shot a season-high 47.9 percent. The history major now ranks fourth on the team in scoring, aiding by her 81.6 percent shooting from the foul line.

Heather Molzen

© East County Sports.com
PULLMAN, Wash. (1-16-09) — Former El Capitan High standout HEATHER MOLZEN helped Washington State University capture its Pacific-10 Conference home opener Thursday (Jan. 15), limiting Oregon State center Tiffany Ducker to just 9 points in the Huskies' 65-52 victory over the Lady Beavers at Friel Court.

Molzen, a senior majoring in health and nutrition, has started in 41 of WSU's last 45 games over the past two seasons, becoming one of the Pac 10's top defenders. This season, she is averaging 8.0 points and a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per outing.

Molzen was a three-time All-East County first-team selection.