Best start over: 22-0 sets school record
By Bonta Hill
Sports Editor
Coming into the new season, women’s Basketball Head Coach Jamie Wong had been worried if her freshmen players would have playing chemistry with the remaining five sophomores on the team.
Her concern faded after the Rams achieved three straight wins over some of the top teams in the stated in the first three games her concern faded.
So far, the Rams have reeled off 22 straight wins to start the season which is a school record.
The team worked extremely hard during the off-season, running on the track, and building strength in the weight room.
“We have four post players who run the floor really well, which is something most teams don’t have,” Wong said.
The Rams won five preseason tournaments, including the Hilton Garden Inn Classic in Pasadena and the Sierra Summit.
“We were in a lot of tournaments this year, more than we have been in the past,” Wong said. “I knew it was going to be a test for us and we have responded well to pressure and challenges we have faced.”
Sophomore center Courtney Buster added: “I knew we would be strong after the Pasadena tournament because it’s always a hard tournament, and when we won that, everybody was like, ‘let’s keep working hard, hard work pays off, let’s go.'”
Wong puts her team through are intense drills, she wants to make them tougher. During their two-hour team practice, the women often play in inter-squad scrimmages to get used to the physicality of basketball.
“Twenty-two wins against top ranked teams is no easy task,” Wong said. “Our team has a passion to win and they prepare hard every day in practice to achieve that.”
The spark of the freshmen class, led by Jazmine Holmes, Brittani Allen, Mone Peoples and Heather Chow has contributed their share to the team’s success as well. Wong has a lot of fun coaching them.
“They are a talented group of athletes who have made a great contribution to our success in the pre-season,” Wong said. “I expect them to continue to do so throughout the season.”
Although they lost for the first time against Chabot on Jan. 9, this year’s team is only five wins away from eclipsing the 27 victories accomplished by the 2005-2006 team during their conference championship season.
While most teams have three to four assistant coaches on their staff, Wong only has one coach on her side. After two other assistants stepped down, Wong is now working with assistant coach Derek Lau.
“Derek is a great assistant. Having an assistant like him makes things easier because he is a good worker, organized, and committed to working hard for, and with our athletes,” Wong said.
Despite the intense practice sessions and top notch competition during the pre-season, the team also managed to compile a grade point average of 3.26.
With a number two ranking in the state and five tournament championships, the Rams are focused on winning the conference title and the state championship. After proving they can play against some of the best teams early in the season, they know they have have a bullseye on their back.
The team will continue to work hard in this already memorable season. After after an exciting start to this already memorable season the team will continue to work hard. They have the potential to write City College basketball history!