Prep basketball notes: Kobe Bryant donated $5,000 to Roseville High program in 2019
Kobe Bryant’s impact on basketball was a global one, and it stretched right on into Placer County.
Through the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, Bryant in December donated $5,000 to the Roseville High School girls varsity basketball program. Roseville freshman guard Lane Madrid reached out to Bryant for help. She met Bryant through summer basketball competitions against Bryant’s daughter, Gianna.
Bryant, Gianna and six others died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. Madrid said she cherishes photos and video clips of her speaking to Bryant in the summer of 2019 after games. On Sunday, Madrid said she and her Roseville teammates were “devastated” at what happened to Bryant.
“He was so nice and so generous,” Lane said.
Roseville coach Allan Darte said Bryant’s generosity and support of women’s athletics, “speaks volumes of his character.”
My oh Mia of Vista del Lago
Mia Perez of Vista del Lago reached the 1,000-point milestone with a layup against Capital Christian in a 45-34 victory and then became the program’s all-time leading scorer against Sac High in a 64-61 overtime victory.
The previous Vista record of 1,025 points was held by Lindsey Moody, who like Perez, was a four-year varsity player. Perez is committed to play softball at Cal Poly on scholarship.
A 5-foot-9 guard/forward, Perez is averaging 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals for Vista del Lago, which is 14-7 overall and 5-1 in the Capital Athletic League.
“Mia is an all-around great player,” Vista del Lago coach Marty Benjamin said. “She is a great scorer, rebounder and passer. She also works hard at her craft all year. She is always trying to get better at both basketball and softball. It’s bee a pleasure to coach her for four years.”
Troubadours rising
St. Francis is back in the rankings at No. 20 after knocking off previously ranked Sheldon 50-37 in Delta League play. The Troubadours have been led by a talented and experienced backcourt in Mia Fleming-Mullins and Jasmine Lee. At 4-1 in league, is in second place in the Delta behind Franklin.
Welcome back, star guard
Star guard Alli McDonald has returned from a foot injury and given Union Mine (9-10) a spark. The Diamondbacks have won five of their last seven and sit in second place in the Sierra Valley Conference behind El Dorado (16-6). The first matchup between the two went down to the wire, with El Dorado winning 43-39 in overtime. McDonald in eight games this season has averaged 18 points a game.
Rocklin’s boys basketball surge
Rocklin has surged to No. 3 in The Bee’s rankings, which only means something to coaches at the end of the season. For now, it’s a telling sign that coach Steve Taylor’s group is in the thick of the Sierra Foothill League race that includes No. 5 Folsom, No. 7 Woodcreek and No. 9 Whitney.
Rocklin beat Whitney on Friday 77-60 as Darrius Kendall and Donovan Lopez each scored 22 in an overflow setting that makes for one of the region’s most spirited rivalries. Kendall, a senior guard, also this season eclipsed the 1,000-point career milestone.
“He loves to be in the gym working and is one of the most dedicated kids I have ever coached,” Taylor said. “Over the past four years, he has been instrumental in bringing our program back to the level it is at today. He is being under-recruited. The school that comes in and gives him a chance is going to have a heck of a player.”
Kendall said he doesn’t take his milestones and victories for granted.
“I feel like this is an accomplishment for me and shows some of the hard work I’ve put int. I have tried my best in my years on varsity to lead my team and to better myself as a player.”
CO upset of Sheldon
In the biggest regular-season victory in school history, Cosumnes Oaks toppled top-ranked Sheldon 74-70 in a Delta League thriller last week.
The overflow crowd at Cosumnes Oaks included a student section the rushed the court to celebrate. Schools celebrate because beating Sheldon is a major feat. The Huskies have won the last two CIF Open Division Northern California championships. Darius Lester and Ishmael Rehberg each scored 14 for the Wolfpack and first-year coach Sheridan Crite, whose team is 14-7 overall and 3-2 in league play a year after going 1-11 in the Delta.
All-Star volleyball
Bee Player of the Year Alexa Edwards of St. Francis was named to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State First Team.
Edwards led the Troubadours to the Division I Sac-Joaquin Section championship and had 2,083 career kills to go with 1,577 career digs. She is headed to UOP on scholarship, where her mother Cathy Lumb Edwards competed on the Tigers’ 1986 national championship team.
Ramonni Cook of Cosumnes Oaks made Cal-Hi’s Second Team as a middble blocker, Ivana Erlandsen of Rocklin as an outside hitter and Claire Kuykendall of Oak Ridge as a setter. Faith Menary of Nevada Union earned Second Team All-State Medium School honors and Grace Bliss of Colfax First Team Small School.
Kennedy Crane of Rocklin made First Team All Junior at outside hitter. Ellie Eichhorn of St. Francis earned Third Team honors as a setter and Ella Jimenez of Del Oro Third Team as a middle blocker.
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Boys
1. Sheldon (16-4)
2. Capital Christian (15-7)
3. Rocklin (19-4)
4. Jesuit (15-5)
5. Folsom (17-6)
6. Burbank (16-6)
7. Woodcreek (19-3)
8. Grant (17-4)
9. Whitney (19-3)
10. Franklin (13-9)
11. Cosumnes Oaks (14-7)
12. Vanden (16-6)
13. Elk Grove (17-4)
14. Davis (13-5)
15. Monterey Trail (14-8)
16. Inderkum (17-5)
17. Wood (16-5)
18. Oak Ridge (12-8)
19. Sacramento (10-11)
20. Rio Americano (15-6)
Bubble teams (listed alphabetically): Antelope (14-8), Bradshaw Christian (12-9), Christian Brothers (13-9), El Dorado (15-6), Florin (17-5), Kennedy (12-10), Lincoln (15-7), Oakmont (14-3), Ponderosa (13-9), , Vacaville (13-6)
Girls
1. Antelope (17-3)
2. Laguna Creek (21-1)
3. McClatchy (19-2)
4. Woodcreek (18-4)
5. Oak Ridge (16-5)
6. Folsom (16-5)
7. Franklin (18-4)
8. Placer (18-2)
9. Colfax (17-4)
10. Lincoln (20-2)
11. Del Oro (14-7)
12. Vanden (17-4)
13. West Campus (15-3)
14. Granite Bay (14-7)
15. Christian Brothers (15-6)
16. Vista del Lago (14-7)
17. Monterey Trail (14-3)
18. Sacramento (10-11)
19. Grant (14-8)
20. St. Francis (11-10)
Bubble teams (listed alphabetically): Capital Christian (11-11), Davis (12-8), El Dorado (16-6), Forest Lake Christian (15-5), Inderkum (11-9), Nevada Union (12-10), Pioneer (19-4), Rocklin (12-10), Sheldon (13-8), Union Mine (9-10)