ESPNHS California

Mater Dei and La Jolla Country Day each get three on the overall Cal-Hi Sports All-State teams chosen regardless of CIF division or year in school. Click here for All-State Underclass or All-State by CIF Divisions.

FIRST FIVE

F/G Jordan Adams (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-1 Sr.
Although the first team may seem guard heavy, Adams actually spent plenty of time in the post this season for the Monarchs, battling on the boards and often guarding the opposition's best player. At the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Adams joked about how relieved she was that the season was complete. After all, she helped lead Mater Dei to its third consecutive state title by averaging 17 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while playing on a bum knee. She plays next for USC.

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The first of three posts announcing the 32nd edition of the Cal-Hi Sports all-state teams in girls hoops is ready to launch. This first one honors those players from the Class of 2013, 2014 and 2015 who had hard-to-miss seasons.

ALL-STATE JUNIORS

First Team
G Kelsey Plum (La Jolla Country Day) 5-9
F Courtney Range (St. Mary’s, Stockton) 6-1
G Chrishae Rowe (Santiago, Corona) 5-9
G Briteesha Solomon (Mission Bay, San Diego) 5-9
F K.C. Waters (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 6-2

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The closest calls to make in these categories this year were for Division III and for freshmen. Top honorees also announced for every other CIF division and for juniors, sophomores.

Congratulations to these girls players for being selected as an ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year. Stay tuned for the release next week of the 32nd annual ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Teams. Here is a complete list of our girls basketball individual honorees for the 2011-12 season:

Seniors – Nirra Fields (Mater Dei, Santa Ana)

Also named as the Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year, Fields played last season at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), a school more known for its boys teams.

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One player from among these five will be selected as the 2012 honoree and will be added to a list of state players of the year by Cal-Hi Sports that stretches back to 1905.

A guard-heavy group of girls have been singled out this week by ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports as finalists for the 2012 Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year.

The five prime-time performers are led by McDonald’s All-Americans Jordan Adams and Nirra Fields, who both played at Mater Dei of Santa Ana and led the Monarchs to the CIF Division I state title.

When two players like that, however, are on the same team, the consideration for post-season honors can be split and can help a different player move up to the top.

Here is a closer look at the five players:

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Mitty holds off J.W. North for fifth state title, while La Jolla Country Day rolls to early lead and wins first Division IV crown.

The CIF Division IV and Division II state title games in girls basketball were played at Power Balance Arena in Sacramento. The Division I, Division III and Division V titles will be decided on Saturday.

Division II:
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 56, J.W. North (Riverside) 54

The NorCal representative came in steeped in championship tradition against an upstart SoCal representative looking to win its first state title.

J.W. North, the team with a new coach and a cast of new players looking to become the first Riverside County team to win a girls state title since all-time great Cheryl Miller led Riverside Poly to the Division I title in 1982, played a valiant game.

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L.B. Poly player’s seizure puts D1 final (won by Mater Dei) in perspective. La Jolla Country Day takes D4 crown while other victors include J.W. North (D2), Laguna Hills (D3) and Mission Prep (D5).

The CIF Southern Regional title games were played at Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario (Divisions 1-3) and at Colony High School in Ontario (Divisions 4-5). Writeups by Ronnie Flores and Mark Tennis. Contributing: Harold Abend.

Division I:
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 54, Poly (Long Beach) 43

In a game between two teams that have played memorable playoff games in recent years with a plethora of talent on the floor, this game was a bit different. There wasn't overwhelming talent and both teams, especially Mater Dei (19 turnovers), didn't executive particularly well.

But when a team has championship experience, it finds ways to win. In this game, that was especially important considering an unfortunate incident that overshadowed the action with 3:56 remaining in the third quarter.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

Emotional leader of nation’s No. 12-ranked team ready to join 1,500-point and 1,000-rebound club. She and her twin sister are the pair to go with team’s Plum.

Maya Hood of the nationally ranked La Jolla Country Day girls basketball team near San Diego doesn’t get the hype of teammate and junior phenom Kelsey Plum, but the reality is that the 5-foot-10 senior who plays like a girl 6-foot-3 is the heart and soul of the team.

“She’s a tremendous leader, our emotional and physical leader,” said 13-year La Jolla Country Day Coach Terri Bamford of her player who is headed to the University of San Diego.

The “double-double” as Bamford calls her, or “my-oh-my” as she’s known by teammates and friends, can score and rebound as well.

Last week on Senior Night, Hood poured in 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with three steals and two assists in a 77-25 win over league rival San Diego Horizon.

As a result of that performance, a season that shows her with eight double-doubles, and an approximate 3.3 GPA, Hood joins Plum, who won the award last year, as an ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports State Athlete of the Week.

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