SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013
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Basketball teams: What’s next? ''“I'think'we'built'up'a'good'enough' reputation'now'that'the'elite'athletes' are'drawn'to'the'program'for'multiple' reasons.'The'academic'success'of'the' school'helps,'the'athletic'success'of'the' program'helps'and'just'a'good'overall' environment'here,”'said'Crichlow. ''Maloney'hopes'the'state' championship'helps'them'lure'recruits' from'competing'schools'in'the'area. ''“I'have'been'coaching'for'20'years'
The'Mt.'SAC'men’s'and'women’s'basketball'teams'celebrate'after'winning'their'last'home'games'en'route'to'winning'state'titles'last'month.' John&Lee/Mountaineer
Randy'Vazquez Sports&Editor ''New'season,'new'coach,'and'new' hardware'in'the'trophy'case'for'the'men’s' state'championship'and'for'the'women' business'as'usual'as'they'continue'their' reign'atop'the'junior'college'basketball' ranks'with'a'second'consecutive'state' title. both'women’s'and'men’s'basketball' teams'from'the'same'school'captured' state'championships.' ''“This'year'both'men'and'women' were'able'to'accomplish'something' that'no'other'team'in'school'history'has' accomplished,”'said'women’s'coach' Brian'Crichlow.'“It'was'good'to'see' get'one'and'see'some'of'these'guys' who'have'worked'really'hard'achieve' that'ultimate'success'of'winning'a'state' championship.” ''Guard'Corey'Allen'agreed,'“It'feels' state'and'having'the'girls'do'it'also,'it' feels'good'to'accomplish'that'goal.” ''The'Mt.'SAC'women’s'basketball' team'completed'a'perfect'season'(33-0)' as'they'beat'Mt.'San'Jacinto'College' (29-3)'54-41'in'the'state'championship.' Winning'their'sixth'championship'ties'the' women’s'basketball'team'with'Venice'for' most'all-time.'' ''“It'feels'good;'it'feels'good'to'see'the' kids'who'have'experienced'it'twice'but' also'refreshing'to'see'the'freshman'who' came'in'to'experience'a'championship' right'off'the'bat,”'said'Crichlow. ''For'the'men’s'team'the'state'title'was' a'new'experience'but'also'an'acceptance' among'the'other'athletics'programs'in' the'school.'Mt.'SAC'(29-3)'defeated' Chaffey'(26-7)'102-88'to'win'the'state' championship. ''“For'us'to'be'in'the'situation'to' now'be'mentioned'with'other'state' championship'teams'like'the'women’s' basketball'program,'our'football'program,' program,'we'have'some'really'good' coaches'here'on'our'campus'that'have' done'some'incredible'things'so'for'us'to' be'mentioned'in'the'same'breath'I'feel' real'honored,”'said'men’s'coach'Clark'
Maloney. ''The'state'championship'had'a' special'feeling'for'Maloney'who'came' back'to'Mt.'SAC'this'season'where'his' coaching'career'began.' ''“It’s'special'because'this'is'where'I' got'my'start,”'said'Maloney.'“To'come' back'in'my'inaugural'year'and'be'part'of' this'I'feel'very'blessed.” ''Winning'the'championship'this'year' for'both'programs'does'not'change' expectations'for'either'the'men’s'or'the' women’s'programs'but'sets'the'bar' instead'for'future'Mounties.' ''“The'expectations'of'the'program' do'not'change'at'all.'I'think'we'have' achieved'success'off'and'on'the'court' for'so'long'that'it'is'working'for'us,'so'
“We'are'going'to'continue'with'the'same' expectations'and'continue'to'push'the' girls'the'same'way'and'hopefully'we'can' have'the'same'success'we'had'in'the' past.” ''The'expectations'for'Maloney'and' his'team'have'also'risen. ''“Anytime'you'do'something'special' like'win'it'all'it'sets'the'bar'high,”'said' Maloney. ''Allen'agreed.“We'set'the'bar'so'now' they'have'to'come'back'and'repeat'the' same'thing,”'said'Allen.' ''If'either'team'hopes'to'repeat'next' year'they'will'have'to'replace'several' key'starters'that'were'instrumental'to' the'team’s'success'this'past'season.' For'the'women'they'will'have'to'replace' several'sophomores'which'included'all' guard'Leticia'Galarza'and'guard'Morgan' Mason'will'move'on.'The'Mounties'will' also'be'without'rebounding'leaders' Shawlina'Segovia.'Another'key'player' that'will'not'be'with'the'Mounties'next' season'is'Ashley'Carter'who'had'a'stellar' team'high'16'points.' ''“Every'year'since'I'have'been'here' for'the'last'14'years'it'has'been'about' replacing'pieces.'We'keep'the'same' system'so'we'go'out'there'and'recruit' kids.'If'those'girls'we'are'replacing' helped'us'and'did'not'hurt'us'we'will'
Crichlow.'“We'got'some'nice'kids'coming'
but'I'think'they'are'just'as'talented'so'I' think'we'will'be'able'to'stay'on'top'a'little' bit'longer.” ''The'men'will'also'be'in'rebuilding' mode'next'season'as'they'will'have'to' replace'several'key'players'including' tournament'MVP'Garret'Nevels'who' averaged'24.2'points'per'game' throughout'the'playoffs.'Also'moving'on' is'guard'Corey'Allen'who'was'second'in' the'state'in'scoring'with'21.1'points'per' game.' ''“We'are'losing'a'lot'of'key'guys.'This' was'a'team'that'was'made'up'of'two' guys'that'were'really'special'in'Corey' [Allen]'and'Garret'[Nevels]'but'also'a' team'that'was'made'up'of'crucial'role' guys,”'said'Maloney.'“Those'guys'will' be'sorely'missed'because'they'brought' different'things'to'the'table.” ''For'the'men'the'journey'to'the' state'championship'was'a'season'long' growing'process.'The'team'had'to'deal' with'adversity'on'the'court'to'reach'their' full'potential. ''“For'a'team'to'really'get'focused' they'have'to'realize'they'have'to'work' hard'to'reach'their'potential.'Whenever' that'is,'only'time'will'tell.'For'us'I'felt' going'into'the'last'week'of'conference' play'I'thought'we'were'playing'really' good'basketball,”'said'Maloney.'“Going' into'the'playoffs'I'saw'a'different'kind'of' focus'from'the'guys'I'had'not'seen'all' year.” ''For'Nevels'he'felt'the'team'came' together'after'an'experience'on'the'track. ''“We'all'got'in'trouble'one'practice' and'we'had'to'go'to'the'track'and'we' were'on'the'track'for'four'hours.'That' is'where'everybody'bought'in;'it'was'a' team'after'that,”'he'said. ''For'some'of'the'Mounties'the' team’s'potential'was'evident'early'on'in' the'2012-2013'campaign'with'a'solid' performance'in'the'City'College'of'San' Francisco'tournament'where'the'team' lost'close'to'defending'champion'Fresno' 69-68.' Francisco'tournament,”'said'Allen.'“We' went'up'on'two'teams'and'we'only'lost' by'1'point'to'the'defending'champs.'We' realized'that'we'can'beat'anybody.'Since' then'I'knew'we'could'do'it.” ''Both'Crichlow'and'Maloney'hope'to' have'success'on'the'recruiting'trail'as' well.'For'Crichlow,'he'hopes'to'continue' to'attract'elite'athletes'to'the'program.
hoping'that'[winning'the'state'title]'will' help'us'in'the'recruiting'wars'with'the' local'teams,”'said'Maloney. ''“We'got'a'lot'of'schools'in'45'mile' radius.'Maybe'seven'or'eight'that'we' have'to'recruit'against'so'I'am'hoping'us' doing'well'is'going'to'help'young'men' want'to'be'a'part'of'our'program.” ''Despite'having'success'since' Crichlow’s'arrival,'do'not'expect' the'coach'to'leave'the'helm'of'the' women’s'basketball'team'anytime'soon.' Crichlow'is'content'with'what'he'has' accomplished'and'the'prospect'of'future' accomplishments'with'the'Mounties.'' ''“Mt.'SAC'has'been'good'to'me.'I' have'been'here'for'a'while'[14'years]'and' the'support'staff'here'is'incredible.'I'am' content'with'staying'at'Mt.'SAC'as'long' as'Mt.'SAC'will'have'me,”'said'Crichlow.' “I'am'a'very'humble'young'man'who' does'not'take'for'granted'anything'that' has'happened'to'me'in'my'life'and'only' good'things'have'happened'at'Mt.'SAC' so'I'am'not'in'any'hurry'to'miss'out'on' good'things.”
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Women’s'basketball'Coach'Brian'Crichlow'cuts'
Adolfo&Tigerino/Mountaineer
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