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Women's Basketball 2008-2009 Season Recap

Results:17-10 overall; 10-4 Pacific Coast Conference-3rd Place

DATE	DAY	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	RESULT
29-Oct	Wed.	Concordia Univ.	2:00pm	Irvine	scrimmage
8-Nov	Fri.	Reedley	4:00pm	MiraCosta	W 62-43
12-Nov	Wed.	Santa Monica	5:00pm	Santa Monica	L 52-59
15-Nov	Sat.	Arizona Western	3:00pm	MiraCosta	L 55-65
22-Nov	Sat.	Citrus	6:00pm	Glendora	L 47-65
28-Nov	Fri.	Orange Coast (OEC Tourn.)	7:00pm	Costa Mesa	L 36-52
29-Nov	Sat.	Santa Ana (OEC Tourn.)	12:30pm	Costa Mesa	W 52-51
5-Dec.	Fri.	San Bernardino Valley	5:00pm	MiraCosta	L 31-63
11-Dec	Th.	Pasadena (Rose City Classic)	8:00pm	Pasadena	L 56-63
12-Dec	Fri	Napa Valley (Rose City Classic)	4:00pm	Pasadena	W 61-44
13-Dec	Sat.	Glendale (Rose City Classic )	12:00n	Pasadena	W 57-53
19-Dec	Fri.	L.A. Trade Tech (Ventura Tourn.)	5:00pm	Ventura^	W 58-35
20-Dec	Sat.	Cypress (Ventura Tourn.)	5:00pm	Ventura^	L 56-64
30-Dec	Tue.	East Los Angeles	6:00pm	MiraCosta	W 76-71
3-Jan	Sat.	Butte	3:00pm	MiraCosta	W 67-56
7-Jan	Wed.	Cuyamaca*	7:00pm	MiraCosta	W 64-40
10-Jan	Sat.	Southwestern*	3:00pm	Chula Vista	L 42-56
14-Jan	Wed.	San Diego City*	7:00pm	MiraCosta	W 49-38
17-Jan	Sat.	Palomar*	5:00pm	San Marcos	L 59-71
21-Jan	Wed.	Imperial Valley*	5:00pm	MiraCosta	W 58-52
24-Jan	Sat.	San Diego Mesa*	5:00pm	San Diego	W 51-43
28-Jan	Wed.	Grossmont*	7:00pm	La Mesa	L 52-69
31-Jan	Sat.	Cuyamaca*	3:00pm	El Cajon	W 61-40
4-Feb	Wed.	Southwestern*	7:00pm	MiraCosta	W 64-37
7-Feb	Sat.	San Diego City*	3:00pm	San Diego	W 81-51
11-Feb	Wed.	Palomar*	7:00pm	MiraCosta	L 50-77
14-Feb	Sat.	Imperial Valley*	3:00pm	El Centro	W 64-55
18-Feb	Wed.	San Diego Mesa*	5:00pm	MiraCosta	W 74-36
21-Feb	Sat.	Grossmont*	3:00pm	MiraCosta	W 67-50
		*Pacific Coast Conference

Final Statistics: Download PDF

Women's Basketball Roster 2008-2009

Shantae Moffett	Taz Darian	Tiffany Hunter
Megan Conroy	Clarissa Brunt-Pluta	Sage LeBlanc

Ali Congini	Chelsea Johnson	Lauryn Wrege
Julia Dito	Andrea Salas	Rachel Darby
Lindsay Tucker	Amy Tucker	Kinsey Bettencourt
Tiah Williams	Liza McRoberts-Hight	NO PHOTO AVAILABLE Jordan Miranda

No. Name Ht. Yr. Pos Hometown High School

1	Shantae Moffett	5-2	Fr.	G	Muskeegon, MI	Oceanside
3	Lauryn Wrege	5-5	Fr.	G	Vista, CA	Rancho Buena Vista
4	Taz Darian	5-8	So.	G	Tierrasanta, CA	La Costa Canyon
10	Tiffany Hunter	5-9	So.	G	Fallbrook, CA	Fallbrook
11	Megan Conroy	5-6	Fr.	G	Ramona, CA	Ramona
13	Clarissa Brunt-Pluta	5-11	Fr.	F	Encinitas, CA	Canyon Crest
14	Sage LeBlanc	5-5	So.	G	Valley Center, CA	Valley Center
20	Ali Congini	5-7	Fr.	G	Johnsburg, IL	Johnsburg
22	Chelsea Johnson	5-8	So.	G	Dixon, CA	Dixon
23	Andrea Salas	5-9	Fr.	F	Murrieta, CA	Vista Murrieta
31	Julia Dito	5-11	So.	F	Santa Monica, CA	Santa Monica
32	Lindsay Tucker	5-9	Fr.	G	Irvine, CA	Irvine
33	Amy Tucker	5-9	Fr.	G	Irvine, CA	Irvine
40	Kinsey Bettencourt	5-10	Fr.	F	Solana Beach, CA	Torrey Pines
42	Rachel Darby	5-8	Fr.	G	San Diego, CA	Rancho Bernardo
RS	Jordan Miranda	5-11	Fr.	F	Vista, CA	Escondido
RS	Liza McRoberts-Hight	5-10	So.	F	Ramona, CA	Ramona
RS	Tiah Williams	5-8	Fr.	F	Fallbrook, CA	Fallbrook

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

Saturday brought the Spartans to Mesa College for a game against the Olympians. Mesa has endured a similar roster situation to Imperial Valley, losing many of their top players to injuries and other issues. Despite entering the game with a 2-17 overall record, Mesa hadn’t lost any heart, as they demonstrated in their game with the Spartans.

MiraCosta, after a somewhat slow start, found their groove midway through the first half, and played pretty good defense on their way to a 28-11 halftime lead. And through the first 10 minutes of the second half, the trend continued, eventually resulting in a 45-21 Spartan lead with 10:56 remaining in the game.

At this point, however, the wheels came off of the MiraCosta bus, and Mesa began chipping away at the lead. MiraCosta kept turning the ball over, fouling, and generally making mistakes while Mesa kept hitting shots. When Mesa capped a 19-4 run with a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 9 points, MiraCosta had to put all their starters back in the game for the last two minutes. And during this time Mesa had an open 3-point attempt that would have cut the margin down to 6. Still, the game was similar to many that the Spartans played last year- an undermanned squad fights hard all the way, and keeps the game close, but could not quite do enough to actually win the game.

The Spartans were led Megan Conroy with 13 points, while Sage LeBlanc added 11. Tiffany Hunter led the Spartans with 9 rebounds.
Mesa 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).

12/22/2008 SPARTANS SPLIT AT VENTURA CROSSOVER TOURNAMENT

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team continued to develop and improve, and came away with a split at the Ventura College “We Play Hard” crossover tournament.

The Spartans opened with Los Angeles Trade Tech, a team facing similar circumstances to MiraCosta last season, in that they are reviving a formerly dormant program. Several Spartans from last year could relate as Trade Tech arrived to the game with only five players in uniform. Still, the Spartans knew from experience that even small squads can compete and win, and it turned out to be a competitive, if rather slow paced, affair. MiraCosta slowly pulled away to build a 36-19 half time lead. In the second half, Trade Tech continued to play tough, but MiraCosta stretched the lead to the low twenties and held it there for the remainder of the game. Highlights for MiraCosta included all 14 players in uniform getting an opportunity to play, of which 9 scored. Tiffany Hunter (16 points) and Megan Conroy (10 points) were the leading scorers, while Julia Dito and Rachel Darby led the rebounding with 6 each.

Saturday’s game with Cypress (# 14 in the latest state poll) was quite a contrast to Friday’s. Not only did Cypress have a long tradition of basketball excellence, their preferred style of play is fast and high pressure, both of which have given MiraCosta problems so far this season. Unfortunately for MiraCosta, the problems continued in this game as Cypress’ speed really discombobulated the Spartans, and it looked like a blowout might be in the making. However, MiraCosta steadied themselves by continuing to defend and rebound, and finally started to attack the full court pressure with more poise. When the dust settled, MiraCosta felt fortunate to be down only by 10 points, 22-32.

The Chargers sped out of the gate again in the second half, and at one point stretched the lead to 17 points. But again, the Spartans showed grit and determination, and kept the pressure on. With about 3 minutes remaining, MiraCosta had 4 shots to trim the lead to 3 points, but could not sink one. The Spartans were still only down 6 in the final minute, but could not make the play or get the break they needed to achieve victory. The final score was 64-56 in favor of Cypress.

MiraCosta sophomore Tiffany Hunter led the Spartans with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but no other Spartans reached double figures in either category.

One other interesting note- Saturday’s game was the eleventh time (out of 12 games) that MiraCosta held their opponents under their season scoring average.
Saturday's loss moved MiraCosta's record to 5-7 on the season.

The Spartans will take Christmas week off, resuming practice on December 27, and then play 3 consectutive home games: 12/30 vs. East Los Angeles College; 1/3 vs. Butte College; and then open Pacific Coast Conference play on 1/7 vs. Cuyamaca.

12/15/2008 SPARTANS WIN CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROSE CITY CLASSIC IN PASADENA

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team bounced back from a disappointing previous week with a very strong showing at the Rose City Classic in Pasadena.

The Spartans faced tournament host Pasadena City College in the first round. Pasadena was ranked 11th in the state and probably expected an easy opening win. However, MCC gave PCC all they wanted and then some, taking them to the wire before losing 56-63. The Spartans rimmed out a 3-pointer that would have cut the game to 3 points with 1 minute left, but could not quite pull out the victory. It's worth noting that MCC gave PCC their toughest game by far of the tournament, as PCC won their next two games by 21 points each.
PASDENA BOX SCORE

Thursday's loss meant a Friday match up with Napa Valley. Napa jumped ahead 16-8 behind some hot shooting. But MCC outscored them 19-4 to close out the first half with a 27-20 lead. MiraCosta was on the verge of cracking the game wide open several times in the second half, but Napa Valley was pesky and wouldn't succumb easily. When the Spartans failed to score for over 5 minutes midway through the half, the Storm pulled to within 5 points at 31-36. But MCC finally made a few shots and pulled away to win 61-44.
NAPA VALLEY BOX SCORE

Friday's win earned MiraCosta another game on Friday (it is noteworthy that MCC was able to get to a "third game" in their first double-elimination tournament since 1992) against Glendale College. Glendale is a very solid team who had handled the Spartans easily last year. In a game that was close all the way, MiraCosta proved deeper and more resilient than the Glendale, and hung on to prevail 57-53.

GLENDALE BOX SCORE

This win earned the Spartans the consolation championship (5th place) and included a nice plaque which now hangs in the women's basketball office.

Saturday's victory improved MiraCosta's record to 4-6 on the season.

MiraCosta sophomore Tiffany Hunter was named to the all tournament team after leading the Spartans in both scoring and rebounding all three games. She totaled 48 points and 29 rebounds in the 3 games.

Next up for MiraCosta- the "We Play Hard" crossover tournament at Ventura College next Friday and Saturday, December 19 and 20. MiraCosta plays L.A. Trade Tech (just reviving their program similar to MiraCosta last year) on Friday at 5:00pm. Cypress, a perennially strong team from the Orange Empire Conference, on Saturday, also starting at 5:00pm.

Following the game, the Spartans will take Christmas week off, resuming practice on December 27.

12/08/2008 SPARTANS SMASHED BY SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY COLLEGE

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team played only one game last week, but it was probably enough considering the outcome. San Bernardino Valley College, defending champion of the Foothill South conference, rolled down to San Diego for a non-conference meeting.

San Bernardino capitalized on poor overall play by MiraCosta and dominated most of the first half. MiraCosta made only 3 field goals (on 22 attempts, including 12 within 3 feet of the basket) and had 15 turnovers en route to a season low eight points in the half. While MiraCosta played better in the second half, scoring 23 points, the game was never in doubt. The final score of 63-31 was indicative of SBVC's dominance throughout the game.

MiraCosta was led by sophomore Tiffany Hunter and freshman Megan Conroy, who each scored 11 points. Freshman Clarissa Brunt-Pluta led the Spartans with a career-high 7 rebounds.

The loss dropped MiraCosta to 2-5 on the season, while SBVC improves to 4-5.

Next up for MiraCosta- the Rose City Classic at Pasadena City College, starting Thursday December 11 and ending on Saturday the 13th. MiraCosta opens at 8pm with tournament host (and state final 4 participant last year) Pasadena. Depending on the outcome, the Spartans will play at either 8pm or 4pm on Friday, with the Saturday schedule also pending tournament results. Interestingly, MiraCosta could end up with rematches versus Santa Monica (in the same half of the draw) and San Bernardino (opposite half).

12/01/2008 SPARTANS SPLIT TWO IN ORANGE EMPIRE CROSSOVER TOURNAMENT

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team faced two more quality opponents last week, and earned a split in two competitive games.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, MiraCosta traveled to the Orange Empire crossover tournament, held at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. Since the Orange Empire is the perennial power conference in the state, and their opponents are both leading contenders for the league title this year, the Spartans knew they were in for two tough games.

The Spartans faced the host Orange Coast Pirates on Friday night, and fell by a final score of 52-36. MiraCosta got off to a 9-2 lead, but wilted under full court pressure by the Pirates as OCC went on a 16-0 run. The Spartans only scored 4 points in the last 14 minutes of the half, leading to a halftime score of 28-13 in favor of OCC.

MiraCosta played better in the second half, going on a 17-3 run of their own over the first 10 minutes of the half. Tiffany Hunter made a free throw at the 10:22 mark, pulling MiraCosta to within 1 point at 30-31. However, OCC responded with several excellent plays and some key three pointers, and MiraCosta could not answer. OCC pulled away over the remainder of the game to make the final score 52-36. The loss dropped MiraCosta to 1-4 on the season, while OCC was 5-1.

MiraCosta was led by sophomore Tiffany Hunter, who scored 14 points. Freshman Clarissa Brunt-Pluta led the Spartans with a career-high 8 rebounds.

(OCC box score)

On Saturday, MiraCosta played against Santa Ana College. The Spartans played more solidly, limiting turnovers and scoring some easy baskets against various full court and trapping defenses. They scored a season high 11 field goals in the first half enroute to a 31-24 halftime lead.

The Spartans continued their solid play through the early second half, slowly building the lead to 12 at 45-33 with about 12 minutes remaining. Santa Ana then employed a 2-3 zone defense which gave MiraCosta fits, especially when the Spartans couldn't hit a shot from behind the 3-point line (1 for 12 in the second half). Santa Ana slowly chipped away at lead, scoring many of their points from the free throw line, and MiraCosta found themselves clinging to a 51-48 lead with 00:32 left to play.

After inbounding the ball, MiraCosta scuffled it around, resulting in a jump ball turnover to Santa Ana, who promptly hit a 3 point jumper to tie the game at 51 with 14 seconds to play. Having no timeouts, MCC quickly threw the ball in, but seemed to be going nowhere after throwing several passes in the backcourt with time running down. However, the Spartans suddenly found a few open passes and zipped the ball up the sideline to sophomore Sage LeBlanc who was open in the right corner. Shooting as time ran out, LeBlanc missed but was fouled by Santa Ana.

After a long delay as the officials sorted out the play, LeBlanc was awarded 2 free throws and 1 second was put on the game clock. LeBlanc made her first free throw, and then wisely missed the second, giving the Spartans a 52-51 victory. The win improved the Spartans' record to 2-4, and the Dons fell to 2-7.

MiraCosta's leading scorers were sophomores Tiffany Hunter (21 points) and Sage LeBlanc (14 points including 9-10 free throws)

(Santa Ana box score)

The schedule continues to be challenging for MiraCosta, as they play yet another defending conference champion in San Bernardino Valley College. Next Friday, December 5 the Spartans play the Coyotes in MiraCosta's Spartan gym at 5:00pm.

11/17/2008 SPARTANS LOSE TWO CLOSE GAMES

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team faced two quality opponents last week, and came up short against both of them.

MiraCosta traveled to Santa Monica College, the defending champion of the Western State conference, on Wednesday evening. Santa Monica swarmed MiraCosta with a full court press, and it was effective. The Spartans turned the ball over frequently, allowing Santa Monica to build a quick 12 point lead. However, MiraCosta started making SMC pay for their press with layups and aggressive drives to the basket, and the Spartans turned a potential blowout into a close game. Santa Monica led 30-25 at the half.

The second half saw SMC quickly up the lead to 8 points, but the Spartans dug in defensively, and once again upped their offensive aggressiveness. Capitalizing on solid free throw shooting (24 of 32 for the game) MiraCosta took a 52-50 lead with just under 3 minutes remaining in the game. But SMC scrapped back, aided by several consecutive MiraCosta turnovers, and pulled out a 59-55 victory.

MiraCosta was led by Tiffany Hunter with 22 points (including 10 of 11 free throws) and 9 rebounds, which was quite remarkable considering she played only in the second half of the game. Taz Darian also scored double digits, tallying 10 points including 2 three-pointers. (SMC box score)

On Saturday, Arizona Western arrived in Oceanside to take on MiraCosta. The first half was pretty close, although it was clear that AZ Western had a significant size advantage, and their plan was to get the ball inside. The Spartans held their ground, however, and at halftime the score was 28-25 in favor of the Matadors.

In the second half, though, the Matadors really started pounding the ball in the paint. It seemed like a post player caught the ball about 1 foot from the basket on almost every possesion. AZ Western built their lead to 10, and then stretched it to 15 as their inside dominance and power wore down MiraCosta. MiraCosta didn't help it's own cause with 28% shooting for the game, either, including numerous shots that looked good but seemingly spun out from inside the hoop. However, MiraCosta kept plugging away, and finally hit a few shots, knocking the final margin of defeat down to 10.

MiraCosta's leading scorers were sophomore Sage LeBlanc (13 points including 3 threes); freshman Megan Conroy (11 points despite playing in the second half only); freshman Kinsey Bettencourt (10 points). Freshman Andrea Salas led MCC with 6 rebounds. Also of note for MCC: MiraCosta played 13 players in the game, and all 13 scored at least 1 point.
(AZ Western box score)

MiraCosta next plays on Saturday, November 22 at Citrus College. Game time is 6:00pm.

11/10/2008 SPARTANS BEGIN SEASON WITH A VICTORY

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team got the season started in a positive direction with a 62-43 victory over Reedley College on Saturday evening in Spartan Gym.
The game began slowly, with both teams struggling to score baskets. The Spartans rotated 12 players in and out of the game, and could not put the ball in the basket despite numerous attempts in the paint. With just under 7:30 remaining, the Spartans trailed 18-12. However, MiraCosta found their rhythm and outscored Reedley 15-3 the rest of the way, resulting in a 26-21 Spartan lead at the half.
To start the second half, Reedley quickly reestablished themselves, and tied the game at 30-30 with 14:54 to go. MiraCosta responded with increased defensive pressure and continued fast substitution patterns. The Spartans' depth seemed to wear down the Tigers, and MiraCosta closed out the game on a 32-13 run.
The game was marked with a high number of fouls, and fortunately for MiraCosta, Reedley only made 7 of 27 free throw attempts. MiraCosta fared slightly better at 17 of 27 from the line, including 5 of 5 by freshman Megan Conroy, and 6 of 8 from sophomore Tiffany Hunter. Hunter and Conroy were the Spartans' two leading scorers tallying 18 and 14 points respectively, despite each playing only in one half.

MiraCosta travels on Wednesday to play Santa Monica College, the defending champion of the Western State conference. Game time is 5:00pm.

8/25/2008 SPARTANS START PREPARING FOR THE 2008-2009 BASKETBALL SEASON

The MiraCosta College women's basketball team has begun their preseason workouts as they prepare for the 2008-2009 basketball season. The Spartans are looking to move the program forward in their second season following a 15-year hiatus in which the college did not sponsor a women's basketball team.

Last year's "back to basketball" team finished with a 7-20 overall record, and went 4-10 in the Pacific Coast Conference. However, the record belies the fact that the team was highly competitive, despite playing most of the conference season with only six players, all of whom were freshmen.

This year, with a greatly expanded and improved roster, the players and coaches are working towards moving the program into the upper echelon of the PCC.

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