Photo by John Napalan/Art O’Neill
Longtime Millikan girls’ basketball coach Lorene Morgan is excited for the upcoming season after a frustrating end to the 2018-19 campaign, which saw the Rams go 26-4 but fall in the quarterfinals of the Division 2AA playoffs.
“The Lady Rams are a little more experienced than last year,” said Morgan. “We fell a little short of what we were aiming for.”
The Rams are ranked in Division 2AA to start the season and have another good chance at winning that division this year with a talented group of underclassmen back, including three first-team All League players.
Junior Vanessa Smith is one of the best players in the city and certainly one of the most athletic. Three-point shooter Lesley Garcia made more treys than any other player in the league last year, and is hoping to repeat that feat this year as a senior. Another returning first-teamer is Alison Crawford, a 6-2 center in her sophomore season.
The difference maker for Millikan could be the experience in the backcourt, with three-year varsity contributor Kylee Ishibashi and three-year varsity point guard Shaakira Jackson both back, along with sophomore Amy Walker, who chipped in last year. Morgan expects freshman Amaya Lacy to contribute this year as well.
LONG BEACH GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Photo by John Napalan/Art O’Neill It’s shaping up to be a special girls’ basketball season in Long Beach, with three teams making appearances in the CIF Southern Section rankings to start the year as well as the reigning Moore League Player of the Year and more than half of last year’s first team
