Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tina Charles of USA TODAY's No.1-ranked girls team, Christ the King (Queens, N.Y.), has been named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/State Farm player of the year.
Charles, a 6-4 forward/center who helped Christ the King win the New York State Federation Class AA title last season, was second-team All-USA in 2005. She has surpassed 1,000 points and rebounds in her three-year varsity career and signed to play with Connecticut.
Charles will be formally recognized April 1 in Boston at the 15th WBCA High School All-America Game (rosters below).
Forfeits: Poly (Long Beach), which was ranked eighth in the preseason and has been in the Super 25 all season, will forfeit 20 games for using an ineligible player.
Poly falls to 2-24 with the forfeits. Because of a clerical error, the school used an ineligible player, sophomore April Cook, who failed to properly complete the paperwork when she transferred from Banning (Wilmington) last year.
"She was originally cleared to transfer and was eligible," Poly coach Carl Buggs said. "It's no one's fault. We've been given a second chance to play, and we'll try to make the most of it."
Poly, which won the Moore League regular-season title, enters the postseason as the fourth-place entry and opens with a play-in game Thursday against Leuzinger (Lawndale).
Despite the setback, Poly is among the favorites in Division I along with Lynwood, Etiwanda, Norco and Jurupa Valley (Mira Loma) to reach next month's state final game in Sacramento.
Buggs is optimistic because four injured players have been given medical clearance for the playoffs. Juniors 5-8 Brittany Brumfield, 5-7 Zajve Woods and 5-11 Taja Edwards are back after missing significant time with knee injuries, and 5-10 freshman Kelli Thompson returns after sitting out nearly two months with an eye ailment.
Player of the week: F-C Kaili McLaren of Good Counsel (Wheaton, Md.) totaled 47 points, 28 rebounds and 11 blocks in two victories. McLaren, a Preseason Super 25 player who signed with Connecticut, had a season-high 31 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks in a 61-53 win against Bishop McNamara (Forestville).
Update: Adrian McGowen of Goodrich (Texas), who earlier this season became the all-time leading girls scorer, entered Tuesday night's Class 1A, Division II bi-district playoff game against Dime Box with 5,322 points. McGowen, who signed with Texas A&M, averages 39 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and 3.1 steals for Goodrich (24-6). She has 1,120 points this season in 30 games.
Free throws: Elena DelleDonne of Ursuline (Wilmington, Del.) is expected to miss up to four games with a strained back. ... No.8 Troy (Fullerton, Calif.) is allowing 29 points a game and has limited opponents to fewer than 30 points 13 times, including a low of 10 thrice. ... Junior Raquel Theus, daughter of New Mexico State men's coach and former NBA player Reggie Theus, had 16 points and eight rebounds for Rolling Hills Prep (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) in a 53-14 win against Price (Los Angeles).
To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
