Orange Coast College Women's Basketball -- 
                A Tradition of Excellence! 

During the past two decades the OCC women's basketball program has established a tradition of excellence and winning that is among the very best in the state of California. Coast has qualified for the state playoffs in 19 of the past 20 years including 18 consecutive appearances. Only two other schools in Southern California , Cerritos and Ventura, have accomplished that feat. The Pirates have posted the best overall record of all the Orange Empire Conference schools during that same time span. Not content to just make the playoffs, the Pirates have advanced to the state's "Elite Eight" state finals five times, the "Final Four" three times and won the state championship in 2003.

Great players make great teams and OCC has had its share over the years, producing six first-team, all-state players and 16 all-state players total. More than 60 Pirate players have gone on to compete at four-year schools and two former OCC standouts -- Le Ann Kazmer and Jamie Shine -- have recently been inducted to the CCCWBCA State Hall of Fame. Kazmer, a 1994 graduate who later went on to UNLV to continue her career and Shine, a 1996 graduate and St. Mary's College standout, were both first-team, all-state standouts for the Pirates. Two other fixtures of the Pirate program, administrators Sue Brown and Doug Bennett, have also been inducted to the same hall of fame. A third, Courtney Ford, was a recent two-time, first-team, all-state selection and the OEC Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008 while setting a ton of school records. Ford is currently a senior starter at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia where she led her team to a 17 win season a year ago.

As much success as the Pirates have had on the floor, they have also enjoyed just as much success in the academic area. OCC's team overall grade point average has been over 3.0 during the past 20 years. Every player with one exception that has spent two years in the OCC program has qualified to attend a four year university. Over 70 players have gone on to continue their basketball careers at the next level.

Listed below are some year-by-year highlights of the OCC program over the past 19 years.

1989-90 -- In coach Mike Thornton's first season, the Pirates improved from an 8-18 (0-8 in conference) record to 26-6, 10-2 in the OEC. Led by all-state point guard Michelle Hennessey, the Pirates finished second to eventual state champion Golden West in conference and advanced to the regional playoffs, earning a sixth seed. Forwards Erica Manning and Cindy Kollar were also selected to the All-OEC team, along with Hennessey. The 26 wins established a then-school record for wins in one season. Coast was upset in the first round of the playoffs by Ventura, but this first season under Thornton was just the beginning of the success this program would witness over the next several years.

1992-93 -- This year saw the Pirates put what many describe as their most talented team ever on the floor and advance to the state's "Elite Eight" for the first of five times in the Thornton era. Three members of that team went on to perform at Division I schools. All-state point guard Ricarda Kuypers played at UCLA, Le Ann Kazmer went on to compete at UNLV and forward Colleen Hatch continued her career at Northern Colorado. Four other members of that team also advanced to play at four-year schools. The 1993 team also set a school record with 27 victories, however, the season ended with a controversial overtime loss to Hancock College. With the Pirates leading by three with 30 seconds left in regulation, the officials missed a backcourt violation by Hancock, which proceeded to hit a game-tying 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down, forcing overtime.

1993-94 -- With only one starter returning from the previous season (Kazmer), the Pirates were not expected to make a return visit to the "Elite Eight" but that is exactly what they did. OCC finished third in the OEC, but led by Kazmer and freshmen guards America Robledo and Flo Luppani, Coast upset Riverside on the road in the regional finals to advance to the state tournament. It was in that first round of the tournament that the Pirates pulled off what is regarded as the biggest upset in state tournament history. San Mateo College was the No. 1 ranked team in the state with a 33-1 record. On top of that, San Mateo was led by future hall of fame coach Tom Martinez, who coached football, softball and women's basketball for that school. He is also known as the personal coach for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Coast came into the game with a 21-12, a record that was not very impressive as far as state tourney teams went. However, the Pirates jumped out to a 17-point lead on San Mateo in the first half and never trailed in a 68-57 win. Due to a late start to the game and the lack of technology at the time, very few people knew about the upset win until the next day. the only people not surprised were the OCC players and coaches who were confident they could win -- and they did! A tired Pirate team lost the next day to eventual state champion L.A. Harbor, but the Coast program was definitely on the map. It marked the first of three OCC appearances in the "Final Four".

1997-98 -- The Pirates made their third appearance in the state finals and again, it was a bit of a surprise. Led by OEC Most Valuable Player and first-team, all-state selection Jennifer Ludwicki, Coast battled through some serious illness and injury problems throughout the season to earn the No. 4 seed in the regional playoffs. The Pirates won the conference title with a last-second basket by Natalie Weeks in a 67-66 win over Fullerton on the last night of the regular season. OCC defeated the College of the Canyons 74-66 in the regionals in front of a huge crowd at the Peterson Gym. Canyons coach Greg Herricak collapsed at the conclusion of the game with a seizure that put a damper on Coast's win in one of the better games in Pirate history. In the first round of the state tournament, the Pirates suffered another controversial overtime loss, this time to DeAnza College. Ludwicki went on to play at the University of New Orleans, where she was named the conference's Newcomer of the Year the following season.

1999-2000 -- OCC put perhaps the second-most talented team in school history on the floor with a veteran team that tied the school record for wins with 27. All-state point guard Shawna Steward as well as all-conference forward Sarah Middlebrooke led the Pirates to an outstanding season that saw them advance to the regional finals and a match-up with out-of-conference rival Cerritos. The Pirates has defeated Cerritos twice during the regular season with both wins coming at home in closely-played contests. OCC was seeded fifth and Cerritos fourth so the Pirates played on the road in the regional championship game. The home court advantage proved to be a great benefit to Cerritos, who defeated Coast 84-80 in what the coaches for both teams said was one of the best games they've ever been involved in. It was the first time that Coast had advanced to the regional finals and were not successful.

2001-02 -- OCC had probably its best freshman class ever and that season provided a hint as to what the future held for the Pirates. Led by sophomore all-state selection Kyra Melville and a talented group of freshmen, the Pirates went undefeated in the second round of OEC play to finish second in the conference and once again, earn the fifth seed in the regional playoffs. Coast advanced to the regional finals, but again had to travel, this time to L.A. Valley to play the fourth-seeded Monarchs. In a game that saw the lead change hands many times and was close all the way, the Pirates took a one-point lead with just a few seconds left thanks to a 3-pointer from freshman Nancy Hatsushi. Valley, which was out of timeouts, rushed down the floor and hurried a shot that caromed off the rim, but went out of bounds off a Coast player with three seconds left. On the in-bounds play, a Valley player broke free and hit the game-winning shot with one second left to suddenly end the Pirates' season. The loss left a bitter taste in the mouths of the freshmen class and basically set the tone for what was to come the next season.

2002-03 -- Make it to the state's "Elite Eight" and erasing the memory of last year's season-ending loss in the regional finals were the goals of the 2003 Pirates from Day 1. They were able to reach those goals, but they were far from easy. Favored to win the OEC title, the Pirates finished second behind Saddleback. Despite losing their final two conference games to finish the regular season 25-6, the Pirates earned the No. 4 seed in the playoffs because of the strength of the conference. That would prove crucial because that gave Coast the opportunity to play all of their regional games at home, provided they kept winning. After a first-round bye, the Pirates hosted Cerritos in the second round. The Falcons had defeated OCC in the regular season, but the Pirates were without the services of sophomore guard Nancy Hatsushi. With Nancy in the line-up and a 10-day layoff between games, the Pirates used a strong defensive effort to top the Falcons, 55-47, led by Alisa Carrillo's 19-point, five-rebound effort. In the regional finals, OCC took on Compton, which was ranked third in the state with a 31-2 record, but was seeded lower than the Pirates. Carrillo nailed a pair of last-second free throws and center Lauren Murray grabbed a crucial rebound late to preserve a 51-49 win over the Tartars, sending Coast to the state tournament. There, OCC topped Merced in the first round, 63-53, setting up a Southern California finals showdown with two-time defending state champion Ventura College. VC was ranked No. 1 in the state and the overwhelming choice among the remaining teams to make it three state titles in a row. OCC had beaten Ventura in a Thanksgiving tournament at Ventura, but the northern Pirates were without the services of team MVP Courtney Young for the second half of that game. To top it off, Coast had ended a huge home-court winning streak Ventura had going, so they were definitely out for revenge! In what at the time was the biggest victory in OCC history, Coast once again defeated Ventura, 59-57 and advanced to the championship game with Northern California powerhouse Contra Costa. Guard Lindsay Galasso had her best game of the season and sophomore sixth player Candice Quiroz, among others, were responsible for holding Young to 18 points, which was well below her average. In the title game, the hot shooting by Hatsushi (five 3-pointers) helped lead Coast past Contra Costa 69-61 for the state championship. Hatsushi was named the state tournament MVP, while Carrillo joined her on the all-tournament team. The six sophomores from that team -- Hatsushi, Murray, Galasso, Quiroz, Liz Mendoza and Leigh Marshall -- will all live in the hearts of Pirate fans forever. They won the state title, with no Division-I players on the team. They epitomized what a "Team" truly was. They won their last four games against teams that were more physically talented and had all won at least 30 games.

2005-06 -- In one of the most remarkable seasons in OCC women's basketball history, the Pirates advanced once again to the state's "Final Four" before losing to eventual state champion Mt. San Antonio. Coast was besieged all season long with injuries, illnesses and discipline problems that have been rare to the Pirate program. Through it all, the Pirates just kept on winning. They eventually won 30 games, second-most in school history. OCC also went undefeated in the first round of OEC play for the first time in school history. The winning streak included a state-record 5OT win over Fullerton that ended the first round of play. Guard Crystal McCormick had a record-setting night, hitting 10 3-pointers to set a school record in that category. Feeling the effects of that game, Coast's conference winning streak came to an end two nights later to a very talented Riverside team. OCC finished second in conference and was the No. 4 seed in the regionals. After defeating Long Beach and Imperial Valley, OCC advanced to the state tournament, where they defeated Merced by five before losing in the semifinals. Sophomores Teeya Fernandez, Valerie Katayama, Jillian Ricks, Madison Parks, Nancy Castro and McCormick combined to complete a remarkable season. Ricks was an all-state selection who battled through injuries and illnesses to have a great season. A transfer from Weber State, she went on to play for UC San Diego and helped them to a record-setting season in 2006-07.Katayama is now playing at Redlands University and Fernandez is in her second season as an assistant coach for the Pirates. McCormick was married last Thanksgiving and is learning how to cook, while Castro, a valuable reserve on the team, is now playing at Bethany College in Kansas.

2006-07 -- With the return of just one player -- sophomore guard Devin Hundley -- Coast had an entirely new team. Coast added IVC transfer Robin Smith and with the help of an outstanding freshman class, the Pirates posted the best regular season in school history. They won 28 regular-season games and went a perfect 14-0 in the OEC for their first undefeated conference record in school history. The season came to an end quickly, however, as OCC was upset in the second round to San Bernardino Valley. The loss was bitter, but it did not take away from the outstanding and record-setting season they had enjoyed. Courtney Ford was a first-team, all-state selection and the unanimous choice for conference MVP. Freshman point guard Rachael Maulit and Smith earned All-OEC honors. Three starters will return for their sophomore season. Smith is currently playing at Kansas Wesleyan University.

2007-08 -- Using the motto, “Ready for the Challenge,” the OCC women managed to produce one of the finest seasons in school history. The Pirates finished with an overall record of 29-4 establishing for the second consecutive year a school record for most wins during the regular season. Also for the second consecutive season, OCC was eliminated in the second round of the regional playoffs after earning the No. 1 seed in the Southern California Regional. Antelope Valley knocked off the Pirates at Peterson Gym but this time there were some unusual circumstances. All-state point guard Rachael Maulit was unable to play because of a season ending illness and some of the other Coast players were suffering from various ailments that prevented them from performing up to par. The quick exit from the playoffs could not, however, take away from all the team's accomplishments. The Pirates were ranked as the No. 1 team in the state for 3 weeks in the early part of the season. OCC captured its second straight Orange Empire Conference title, marking the first time in history that they had won back-to-back championships. The Pirates won three tournament championships along the way and garnered many individual honors.Courtney Ford was selected as the MVP of three tournaments as well as earning the OEC Most Valuable Player award for the second straight season. Ford and Maulit were selected to the all-state team as well as the All-OEC team. Joining them on the all-conference team were sophomores Brittany Taylor and Katie Kissee. Ford also was named the school's Female Athlete of the Year in May. The season brought to a close the careers of seven outstanding sophomores. Courtney Ford, Rachael Maulit, Brittany Taylor, Katie Kissee, Erin Barney, Sarah Schmidt, and Lee Wang will be remembered forever for all the positive things that they accomplished in their two-year OCC career.

2008-09 - All conference selections Simone Ibbotson and Casey Gomez led the Pirates to a 21-11 overall record and their 18th consecutive playoff appearance. Ibbotson, who was a two year starter, and Gomez both played critical roles on the 29-4 2008 championship team. Casey and Simone are continuing their academic and basketball careers at Chapman University.

Keeping it in the family -- A total of seven former Pirates have returned at one time or another to join the OCC coaching staff. They help a great deal in keeping the Pirate tradition alive.

"34" -- The number 34 is extremely significant in OCC women's basketball history. Three consecutive players who wore that number were all-state selections and among the best OCC players of all time. Colleen Hatch (1993), Le Ann Kazmer (1994) and Jamie Shine (1996) all played the same position and were all record-setting players. All went on to play Division-I schools and in honor of them, the number "34" will never be worn again by any OCC women's basketball player.

FORMER OCC PLAYERS WHO HAVE GONE ON TO PLAY AT THE DIVISION I LEVEL:

Michelle Hennessey - 1990 - Cal State Fullerton

Ricarda Kuypers - 1993 - UCLA

Lee Ann Kazmer - 1994 - UNLV

Colleen Hatch - 1993 - Northern Colorado

Jamie Shine - 1996 - St. Mary's

Jennifer Ludwicki - 1998 - University of New Orleans

Natalie Weeks - 1999 - Idaho

Erin Tomlinson - 2000 - UC Irvine

Leah Wilde - 2000 - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Alisa Carrillo - 2004 - Southern illinois

Rhondi Naff - 2005 - Cal State Bakersfield

Madison Parks - 2006 - Long Beach State

Courtney Ford -  2008 - Mercer University