Athletics

05/11/2009  TIFFANY HUNTER SIGNS WITH U.C. SAN DIEGO

Tiffany Hunter, the Spartans’ two-time all-conference forward, has accepted a scholarship offer and signed a national letter of intent with U.C. San Diego. As a Triton, she will continue her education and basketball career under head Coach Charity Elliot. Hunter intends to major in political science, with future plans to attend law school.

Said Coach Elliot, “Tiffany brings some tremendous experience from her two years at Mira Costa,” Elliott added. “I know she will come in with a great work ethic after playing for (head coach) Dan Mulville. She is a fantastic rebounder and gets to the rim off the dribble, plus she can shoot the three…she is extremely versatile in her game.”

In two seasons at MiraCosta, Hunter was an outstanding all-around player. In 54 career games, she averaged are 18.4 points and 9.7 rebounds. She was also remarkably consistent, scoring double figures in 51 of her 54 games, and produced 27 double-doubles (points and rebounds) in that span. For her efforts, she was awarded all-Pacific Coast Conference recognition both years.

Hunter was instrumental in rebuilding the women’s basketball program at MiraCosta, which had discontinued the sport in 1992, and reinstated it beginning in the fall of 2007. She was one of only six players to complete the entire 2007-2008 season, in which the team went 7-20 (4-10 PCC). In her sophomore season, in which she was a team captain, the team improved to 17-10 (10-4 PCC).

Hunter is a 2007 graduate of Fallbrook High School, where she was named the player of the year by the North County Times. U.C. San Diego is an NCAA Division II member, and competes in the CCAA, one of the strongest D-II leagues in the country. Academically, U.C. San Diego is consistently recognized as one of the top 10 public universities in the country.

3/16/2009 SPARTANS EARN ACADEMIC DISTINCTION
Twelve members of the Spartans women's basketball team have earned the distinction of Pacific Coast Conference scholar athlete. Each of these students maintained a GPA over 3.0 while attending school full time and participating in intercollegiate athletics.

Kinsey Bettencourt

Clarissa Brunt-Pluta

Megan Conroy

Rachel Darby

Julia Dito

Tiffany Hunter

Chelsea Johnson

Jordan Miranda

Andrea Salas

Amy Tucker

Lindsay Tucker

Lauryn Wrege

Overall, the  team performed very well academically during the Fall 2008 semester. The cumulative team GPA was 3.397, and the average course load was 16.8 units. Congratulations to all the distinguished student-athletes in the program.

3/2/2009 SPARTANS AWARDED CONFERENCE RECOGNITION

MiraCosta Spartans Tiffany Hunter, Sage LeBlanc, and Megan Conroy have been named to the Pacific Coast Conference's All-Conference team, as voted on by the conference coaches. Also, Coach Dan Mulville has been awarded coach of the year by his peers.

Hunter, a sophomore, made the team for the second consecutive year, and was a strong candidate for the conference player of the year award. She led MiraCosta in both scoring and rebounding for the second year, averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds. In her career, she posted double-double figures in scoring rebounding a remarkable 20 times out of 28 games.

LeBlanc, also a sophomore, played the best basketball of her career in the Pacific Coast conference, averaging 8 points and 3 assists per game, while providing solid floor leadership to a young team. Her best all-around game was at Imperial Valley, when she scored 14 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in 34 minutes played, helping the Spartans win a key road game. She also started 28 consecutive conference games during her career.

Conroy, a freshman, was named "honorable mention" after a freshman season in which she was the second leading scorer on the Spartans at 12 points per game. She scored in double figures in 8 of 14 league games, and the Spartans went 7-1 in those games. She also led the team in 3-point field goals made with 20, and in 3-point percentage at 37%.

In only their second season fielding a women's basketball team, MiraCosta showed tremendous improvement under the leadership of Coach Dan Mulville. They went from 7-20 (4-10 in league) during the 2007-08 season to an overall record of 17-11. Notably, the team went 15-5 in their last 20 games, including a 10-4 record in the PCC, good for third place. For his team's accomplishments, the other PCC coaches voted Mulville the "Coach of the Year" award.

2/23/2009 SPARTANS FINISH SEASON STRONGLY, AWAIT DECISION ON PLAYOFFS

MiraCosta won their final two games of the season, ending their year on a high note while playing their best basketball. The Spartans finished 10-4 in the Pacific Coast Conference, good for third place.

Wednesday night’s opponent was San Diego Mesa College, whom the Spartans had defeated rather unconvincingly in their first match up. In that game, MiraCosta opened up a 25 point second half lead, but carelessly squandered it and ended up winning by only 8 points.

The rematch would prove to be an entirely different story. MiraCosta exploded from the opening tip, playing solid team defense and running Mesa right out of the game. The Spartans held the Olympians to 11 first half points while scoring 40 themselves. The halftime lead of 29 points was Spartans’ largest of the year.

The Spartans kept the momentum going through the second half. Although Mesa improved their offensive production, scoring 25 in the half, the deficit kept growing as MiraCosta scored 34. To their credit, Mesa kept competing, but MiraCosta was just too good for them on this night.

Ten Spartans scored in the game, and three reached double figures: Sophomore Tiffany Hunter led the team with 19, followed by freshman Megan Conroy’s 16, while freshman Andrea Salas established a new career high with 11 points. On the boards, Hunter tied for the team lead with 7, the same number grabbed by freshmen Kinsey Bettencourt and Rachel Darby.

Mesa box score

Saturday featured a rematch against second-place Grossmont College, who had handed MiraCosta a one-sided defeat previously. The Spartans had been disappointed by their effort and intensity in the first game, and displayed an entirely different level of energy and resolve from the beginning of the rematch. MiraCosta allowed Grossmont few open looks at the basket, and even fewer second chance shots. The result was a 28-16 halftime lead.
But with their pressing style and dangerous 3-point shooting, Grossmont is the type of team that scores in bunches, so MiraCosta never felt their lead was safe. The Spartans continued their stingy defense and rebounding, but the Griffins continued to stay within striking distance. So when Grossmont’s Breanna Durant drained her third 3 to cut the Spartans lead to 9 (54-45) with 3:19 to play, the Griffins had momentum. But Spartan Sophomore Sage LeBlanc answered 30 seconds later with a 3-ball of her own which broke the Griffins’ back. For the game, MiraCosta outrebounded Grossmont 59-32, and held them to only 50 points, 25 below their conference average.

Sophomore Tiffany Hunter led the Spartans with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Freshman  Megan Conroy scored 17 points, and freshman Andrea Salas grabbed 12 rebounds, a new career high.

02212009_Grossmont

The Spartans (17-11 overall; 10-4 PCC) end their season as the third-place team in the Pacific Coast Conference. Depending on the decision of the seeding committee, the Spartans have an outside chance at qualifying for the state playoffs.

2/16/2009 SPARTANS SPLIT TO MAINTAIN THIRD PLACE

MiraCosta split their two games last week, making them 4-1 in the second round of league play, and solidifying their hold on third place in the Pacific Coast Conference. With two games left to play, MiraCosta two games ahead of Southwestern, and two games behind Grossmont.

On Wednesday night, MiraCosta hoped to end Palomar College’s conference winning streak. In the first round, MiraCosta had battled Palomar in a loss that was a lot closer than the 11 point final spread. The Spartans, playing better of late, thought that they might be able to upset the highly ranked Comets. However, Palomar quickly ended that idea, starting fast to build an early 15 point lead. Palomar played a strong game, while MiraCosta contributed to their own demise by missing close shots and free throw. The Comets took a very comfortable 43-23 lead into halftime.

The second half was closer, but Palomar still outscored MiraCosta 34-27, making the final score 77-50. Overall, MiraCosta was undone by offensive woes, shooting only 19 of 50 from the floor, and a very substandard 12-30 from the free throw line. Nonetheless, the Spartans were proud of their competitive spirit and good sportsmanship. MiraCosta played hard throughout the game, and all players in uniform got the opportunity to compete.

Sophomore Tiffany Hunter was the only Spartan to reach double figures, scoring 12 points, despite playing only 26 minutes. She also led the team with 7 rebounds. Freshman forward Amy Tucker had her best offensive game, going 4-4 from the field to score 8 points.
Palomar box score

Saturday brought the hardest road game in the PCC, the long trek down to El Centro for a game against Imperial Valley. The first round game against the Arabs had been very close, with MiraCosta prevailing 58-52 in Oceanside, so the Spartans knew another close game was likely, especially at Imperial Valley, where IVC always seems to be about 10 points better than their road games.

The Spartans, as they have of late, started strongly, opening an early 13-3 lead in the first 5 minutes of the game.  The Spartans had numerous opportunities to stretch the lead, but kept missing close shots and turning the ball over. The Arabs capitalized on the mistakes and outscored MiraCosta 27-22 through the rest of the half, but MiraCosta still led 35-30 at the half.

The second remained close throughout, with Imperial tying the game at 47 with 6:53 remaining in the game. But MiraCosta fought back and closed the game on a 17-8 run, resulting in a victory by the final score of 64-55. Both teams walked off the floor with their heads held high after a competitive effort.

Sophomore Tiffany Hunter led the Spartans with 24 points and 18 rebounds, while freshman Megan Conroy added 14 points. Freshman Rachel Darby was the team’s second leading rebounder with 8. As a team, MiraCosta had 14 assists on 23 total field goals, but had their highest turnover total in league play with 29.
Imperial box score

The Spartans (15-11 overall; 8-4 PCC) conclude their regular season schedule with two home games. They face San Diego Mesa College on Wednesday night (February 18-5:00pm at MiraCosta), and then host Grossmont College (3:00pm at MiraCosta). If the Spartans win both games, they have an outside chance at making the state playoffs.

2/9/2009 SPARTANS WIN THIRD CONSECUTIVE GAME

MiraCosta has started the second round of Pacific Coast Conference play by winning their first three games. The winning streak has moved the Spartans into sole possession of third place in the league.

On Wednesday night, MiraCosta was looking for revenge against Southwestern College, who had handed the Spartans their most one-sided loss of the year on January 10. The Spartans quickly let the Jaguars that the rematch would be a different game, jumping out to a 20-2 lead. MiraCosta played smothering team defense, not allowing Southwestern to get their third point until the 8:54 mark. The Spartans also ran transition very effectively, leading to a lot of easy scoring opportunities. MiraCosta maintained their defensive intensity for the entire half, and went to the locker room leading 33-14.

The second half saw MiraCosta stretch the lead by continuing to push the basketball and to defend with determination, including nearly 7 minutes in which they didn’t allow Southwestern to score. Mira Costa also shored up a major rebounding deficit from the first game, grabbing 53 while limiting Southwestern to 36. The Spartans ended up playing all 14 players in uniform while cruising to a 64-37 victory, which was a 43 point swing from their earlier match-up.

MiraCosta had four players reach double figures, led by Sophomore Tiffany Hunter with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman guard Megan Conroy had 11 points along with 10 boards. Sophomore Sage LeBlanc and freshman Rachel Darby scored 10 points each.
Southwestern box score

Saturday brought a road game against the Knights of San Diego City College, whom the Spartans had defeated by 10 points on January 14. In that game, the Knights played short handed due to injuries, but still played competitively. This time around, City was at full strength, and MiraCosta expected an even tougher game

However, it was not to be. The Spartans exploded out of the gate, once again playing stingy defense and pushing the ball on offense. The Knights were forced to call 4 timeouts in the first half, but still they could not slow down the Spartans, who scored a season high 40 points in the first half. Again, the Spartans did not allow their opponents to score early in the game, as SDCC didn’t notch their tenth point until under 10 minutes remained in the half. MiraCosta led 40-26 at the half.

In the second half, MiraCosta put the game away on three consecutive 3-pointers on their first 3 possessions, opening a 49-29 lead. City was never able to recover, and the Spartans went on to an easy 81-51 victory.

Sophomore Tiffany Hunter led the Spartans with 14 rebounds and 24 points. Freshman Megan Conroy scored 20 points, and sophomore Sage LeBlanc contributed 10 points and 7 assists. As a team, MiraCosta had 21 assists on 29 total field goals, and 11 different players scored.
San Diego City box score

The Spartans (14-10 overall; 7-3 PCC) come home for their Wednesday night (February 11-7:00pm at MiraCosta) game this week, where they’ll seek to avenge a road loss against Palomar College. Palomar currently has a 27 game PCC win streak, and is ranked number 5 in the state. The Spartans then travel to El Centro on Saturday February 14 to play the Imperial Valley College Arabs. (3:00pm at Imperial Valley College).

2/2/2009 SPARTANS SPLIT  TWO MORE ROAD GAMES
MiraCosta faced both schools from the Grossmont-Cuyamaca community college district this week, and ended up splitting the pair of road games.

MiraCosta squared off against the Grossmont College Griffins on Wednesday in a game for second place in the conference standings. Unfortunately, MiraCosta picked a bad night not to show up. In a game that wasn’t even as close as the final score of 52-69 might indicated, Grossmont completely outplayed MiraCosta. Grossmont opened up an early 10 point lead, and MiraCosta never really threatened thereafter.

It’s hard to find bright spots for the Spartans, who reverted to their old ways in coughing up 32 turnovers. A look at the box score shows the extent to which Grossmont dominated the game: 26 FG vs 15 for MCC; 9 3-pointers vs. 3 for MCC; 16 assists vs. 6 for MCC; 57 shots vs 40 for MiraCosta. MiraCosta’s only significant edge was at the free-throw line where they made 19 of 30 while Grossmont only shot 18 free throws total.

MiraCosta was led by freshman guard Megan Conroy, who was the only double-figure scorer with 10 points. Sophomore Tiffany Hunter had 7 rebounds to lead the Spartans in that category.
Grossmont box score

Saturday brought the Spartans to Cuyamaca College for their third consecutive conference road game. Cuyamaca had struggled with an undermanned roster and several key injuries throughout the season, and as such entered the game with only one win in league.

MiraCosta sent the message early on that Cuyamaca wasn’t going to earn their second league win against the Spartans, opening a quick 18 point lead in the opening segment of the game. Playing solid team defense, MiraCosta led 24-6 before Cuyamaca hit a 3 with 7:18 remaining in the half. MiraCosta ran their most effective transition offense of the year and took a 40-20 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Spartans went cold (7 for 30, and 2-12 from 3-point range) from the perimeter against the Coyotes’ zone defense, and Cuyamaca made enough shots to keep it interesting. The Spartans’ lead was cut to 12 a few times, but it never went into single digits, which allowed all 13 uniformed Spartans to get in the game. Overall, the Spartans played solid and earned a 61-40 victory.

The Spartans were led  by sophomore Sage LeBlanc with 16 points. Sophomore Tiffany Hunter led the Spartans with 9 rebounds while scoring 14 points.
Cuyamaca box score

The Spartans (12-10 overall; 5-3 PCC) come home for their Wednesday night (February 4) game this week, where they’ll seek to avenge a road loss against Southwestern College (7:00pm at MiraCosta) Then the Spartans travel to San Diego City College on Saturday February 7 for a rematch with the Knights. (3:00pm at City College).

1/26/2009 SPARTANS SWEEP TWO CONFERENCE GAMES

MiraCosta enjoyed their first conference winning streak with victories over Imperal Valley and San Diego Mesa this week. Even though the streak is a modest two games, it is a milestone for the team, which could not accomplish the feat last year. The two wins also moved the team into a tie for third place in the Pacific Coast Conference.

MiraCosta met the Arabs of Imperial Valley College on Wednesday in Oceanside, and the game was reminiscent of many played by the Spartans lately. Imperial, beset by injuries and the strange occurrences of the community college level, found themselves with only 6 players in uniform.  But as has been seen many times, this was no token of dismay or surrender, and Imperial played MiraCosta very tough throughout the game.

Playing a trapping zone, IVC created a slow tempo to their liking, and MiraCosta settled for a lot of outside shots. Although the Spartans made 3 of 11 3-pointers in the half, they only shot 1 free throw.  There were several opportunities for MiraCosta to create a substantial lead, but they could not capitalize, and went to the half leading 26-23.

However, the tables turned against IVC in the second period. MiraCosta played more aggressively, was able to score some transition baskets, and managed to get the ball inside a lot more effectively. The Spartans shot 3 less threes in the second half, but shot 17 free throws (making 10). This change put IVC  more on their heels and forced them to juggle players in foul trouble. MiraCosta tenaciously held their lead, and finally closed out Imperial by the score of 58-52.

MiraCosta was led by freshman guard Megan Conroy, who scored a career high 26 points on 10-17 shooting, including 3 of 7 from the 3-point line. Sophomore Tiffany Hunter added 14 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds. Sophomore Sage LeBlanc dished out 6 assists to lead the Spartans.
IVC Box Score

The Spartans (11-9 overall; 4-2 PCC) conclude the first round of conference Wednesday 1/28 vs. Grossmont College (7:00pm at Grossmont). The second round begins Saturday 1/31 vs Cuyamaca (3:00pm at Cuyamaca), which will be MiraCosta's third consecutive road game.

1/19/2009 SPARTANS SPLIT TWO MORE CONFERENCE GAMES

The first two weeks of the conference season played out similarly, with MiraCosta winning at home on Wednesday, and then losing on the road on Saturday.

When the Knights of San Diego City College visited MiraCosta on Wednesday, they were shorthanded due to numerous injuries. MiraCosta jumped out quickly to a 10-0 lead, but SDCC showed plenty of heart and refused to capitulate. MiraCosta led by 11 at halftime, and stretched the lead to 21 points late in the second half. Although they never really threatened the Spartans too dangerously, SDCC fought to the end, including a 10-0 run to close out the game, making the final score 49-38 in favor of MiraCosta.

The Spartans were led by sophomore Tiffany Hunter with 14 points, followed by freshman Megan Conroy with 11 and sophomore Sage LeBlanc with 9. Hunter also led in rebounds with 10, and while Rachel Darby added 8, and Amy Tucker 6. MiraCosta played all 15 players on the roster.

SDCC box score

Saturday found the Spartans a few miles east to play Palomar, who entered the game ranked number 5 in the state. In what has quickly become a rivalry game, the Spartans battled the Comets and gave them a stiff test before falling 59-71.

MiraCosta grabbed the early advantage, leading 6-0, but could not maintain any offensive continuity. This was exacerbated by extremely tight officiating, which resulted in a total of 36 foul shots in the first half alone. MiraCosta scored only 2 points in one 7 minute stretch, while Palomar forced transition and got some easy baskets to build a 12 point lead. Although the Spartans started scoring again later in the half, they could not cut the lead down, and so trailed 25-37 at halftime.

MiraCosta played much better in the second half, and found their rhythm offensively. The Spartans cut the lead down to 2 points at 53-55, but could quite get over the hump and take the lead. Palomar capitalized on several questionable calls and some Spartan mistakes, and spurted away with a 5-0 run that effectively put the game out of reach. In the end the Spartans played the Comets even in the second half, and had a chance to win the game.

MiraCosta had two players in double figures: sophomores Tiffany Hunter (14) and Sage LeBlanc (11). Hunter, LeBlanc, and Rachel Darby each grabbed 5 rebounds to lead the Spartans.
Palomar box score

North County Times story

The Spartans (9-9 overall; 2-2 PCC) continue conference play this week with games Wednesday 1/21 vs. Imperial Valley College (5:00pm at MiraCosta), and Saturday 1/24 vs San Diego Mesa (5:00pm at Mesa).

1/12/2009 SPARTANS OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY WITH A SPLIT

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team Pacific Coast Conference play by winning at home, and then losing on the road.

The PCC opener brought Cuyamaca College to Oceanside to face the Spartans. Playing one of their best all around games of the season, the Spartans built a 14 point lead very early in the game. MiraCosta utilized quick ball movement to score easy baskets and get open 3-pointers en route to a 33-18 halftime lead.

The Spartans continued their high level of play in the second half, and were never seriously threatened. MiraCosta played all 14 available players, and 11 of them scored. The Spartans had 3 players in double figures (Tiffany Hunter- 13; Rachel Darby-11; Taz Darian-14), and were led by Hunter (10) and Darby (8) in rebounding. Julia Dito also contributed 8 rebounds in 8 minutes played.

As easily as the game came to MiraCosta on Wednesday, it came a lot harder on Saturday at Southwestern College. The Jaguars played a very physical brand of basketball, and the Spartans were knocked back by the intensity. Capitalizing on second chance shots and turnovers by the Spartans, Southwestern 28-17 lead at the half. The Spartans could only manage three field goals in the half, and the fact that they were all 3-pointers says a lot about who controlled the paint.

MiraCosta played better in the second half, but could get no closer than 7 points. Every time the Spartans started to build momentum, the Jaguars would answer with a shot or an aggressive play to keep the lead and the momentum. Statistics don't always tell the story, but in this case, one statistic does- rebounding. For the game, the Jaguars out rebounded the Spartans 46-33. The remarkable statistic is that on 42 missed attempts, Southwestern grabbed 21 offensive rebounds. Contrast that to MiraCosta, who grabbed only 11 offensive rebounds on 41 misses.

As can be inferred from the score, the Spartans did not have any players reach double figures in either points or rebounds.

The Spartans (9-7 overall; 1-1 PCC) continue conference play this week with games Wednesday 1/14 vs. San Diego City College (7:00pm at MiraCosta), and Saturday 1/17 vs Palomar (5:00pm at Palomar).

1/05/2008  SPARTANS COMPLETE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE WINNING 5 OF LAST 6 GAMES PLAYED

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team completed the non-conference portion of their schedule with a two game winning streak.
 

The Spartans returned from Christmas vacation to face East Los Angeles College on December 30. MiraCosta quickly jumped ahead 9-1, and only allowed East L.A. to score 20 points in the first half. The Spartans went to halftime feeling good about a 30-20 lead.

However, East L.A. taught MiraCosta that games are not over at halftime. Every time MiraCosta started to build up the lead, back East L.A. would come. MiraCosta never surrendered the lead in the second half, although East L.A. cut the deficit as low as 4 points several times. In the end, the game was decided at the free throw line. MiraCosta shot 37 of 49 free throws, while East L.A. made only 15 of 34. The final score was MiraCosta 76, East Los Angeles 71. In a remarkable performance, East L.A. was sparked by Megan Iloff (the state’s leading scorer- 28ppg), who scored 33 of her game high 39 points in the second half. The Spartans had 3 players in double figures (Tiffany Hunter- 16; Megan Conroy-14; Rachel Darby-11), and were led by Hunter (12) and Darby (9) in rebounding.

In their final pre-league game, the Spartans met the Butte College Roadrunners. MiraCosta got out of the gate quickly, establishing a 24-9 lead on the basis of a season high 5 three-pointers in the first half. But similarly to the ELAC game, MiraCosta could not bury Butte. The Roadrunners stubbornly fought back, and once again would not let the Spartans pull too far ahead. Free throws once again were the difference in the game, especially in the second half, which saw MiraCosta go 10 for 17, while Butte went 2 for 2.  The final score of 67-56 is not really indicative as to how close the game was.
MiraCosta was led once again by sophomore Tiffany Hunter with 21 points and 9 rebounds.  Megan Conroy (12 points) was the only other Spartan to reach double figures, but the Spartans had their best balanced attack of the season, with 9 points from Rachel Darby, and 8 each from Lindsay and Amy Tucker.

The Spartans will enter Pacific Coast Conference play having won 5 of their last 6 games, making their overall record 7-7. The Spartans open league play on Wednesday 1/7 vs. Cuyamaca (7:00pm at MiraCosta), and also play at Southwestern on Saturday 1/10 (3:00pm at Southwestern).