Guards’ White Picks Arizona!

BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH — Layana White breathed a sigh of relief Monday. With her college choice behind her, Bell-Jeff Read more

Niya Butts Adds Four for Next Season!

TUCSON - Three freshmen and a junior transfer will join the Wildcats next season.

University of Arizona Wildcat women’s basketball head coach Niya Butts has announced the addition of four National Letter of Intent student-athletes to the squad for the 2011-12 season.

Erin Butler, Kama Griffitts, Aley Rohde and Layana White will join the Wildcats next season. Three will enter as true freshman and Griffitts is a junior transfer.

Butler is a 5-10 guard from Mission Viejo, Calif. She competes for Mission Viejo High School and during the 2009-10 season, she averaged 13.9 points and four rebounds per game. She was a 2009-10 first-team All-CIF and first-team All-Trinity League honoree.

“Erin Butler is a player we are very excited about,” head coach Niya Butts said. “She brings a lot to the court and a lot to our team. She’s a great shooter and a great student. She’ll be an asset off the court, too. We are eager to start working with her and improve her game. But she has skills you just can’t teach, the intangibles.”

Griffitts is a 6-0 guard/forward from Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. She will transfer to Arizona from North Idaho College. During the 2009-10 season, she averaged 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She also made 72 three-pointers. While playing for NIC, she was a 2009-10 first-team All-Scenic West Athletic Conference selection and an NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American.

Playing for Coeur d’Alene High School, she was a two-time Idaho Player of the Year and her team won back-to-back state championships. She earned first-team all-state honors all four years of high school. As a sophomore, she was nominated for the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year award. Griffitts also earned the Jack Blair All-Star Game Most Inspirational Player award as a junior

“Kama Griffitts is a great kid who can flat out shoot,” Butts said. “She brings great size on the wing with a solid frame. She has the ability to score points in bulk. We are excited to get her here and make her a part of our family. She’s an all-around great player.”

Rohde is a 6-5 center from Cave Creek, Ariz. She competes for Pinnacle High School and during the 2009-10 season, she averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game. She is a member of the ESPN Hoopgurlz Top 100 and is the No. 36 prospect in the country. She is also ranked as the No. 9 center according to the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

She is a 2007-08 and 2008-09 member of the All-Arizona team and the 2009 Scottsdale Player of the Year by the Arizona Republic. Her Pinnacle team was the state runner-up in 2008 and 2009 and Rohde was named team MVP. She earned first-team All-Pima Region honors is 2008 and 2009. Off the court, she has logged 170+ hours of community service and was named an all-academic team member in 2008 and 2009. Rohde also earned the AIA Dr. Voie Stuart Chase Coy Scholar-Athlete Award in 2008.

“Aley Rohde obviously adds great size to our roster,” Butts said. “She’s a skilled post player who can also shoot the three. She’s also a solid rebounder. She can be dominant at the five position for us and that’s what we’ll need next year when we lose Ify, Soana and Amanda. She also brings great character and a strong academic background.”

White is 5-8 guard from Lancaster, Calif. She competes for Bellermine Jefferson High School and during the 2009-10 season, she average 12.6 and 4.2 steals per game. She was named second-team All-CIF for her performance during the 2009-10 season.

“Layana White is super athletic,” Butts said. “She moves really well up and down the floor. And she is also a solid defender. She does things you just can’t teach. We’re excited to see her game develop as she grows and learns in our system.”

Arizona opened the regular season with an 81-72 overtime win at Wichita State on Fri., Nov. 12. The Wildcats will return to McKale Center on Mon., Nov. 15 for a contest against Northern Arizona, at 7 p.m. For tickets to the Arizona Wildcat women’s basketball games, call 800-452-2287.

Bell-Jeff’s White Headed To Arizona!

BURBANK - Bell-Jeff’s Layana White has switched her college choice.
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Layana White To Sign National Letter Of Intent!

BURBANK - The Bellarmine-Jefferson Athletics Department invites you to yet another National Letter of Intent signing.

This time, “The Small School with BIG Results” celebrates senior guard, Layana White who will sign with the Arizona Wildcats of the PAC 10 this Monday afternoon November 15, 2010 @ 2:45pm in the Bell-Jeff gymnasium.

Everyone is invited to celebrate with Layana and her family and the media for this special event.

Participants will also be able to participate in a free-throw shooting contest and half-court shot event to win a Tommy’s Burger gift card and other great prizes! Related Story

Bell-Jeff Still Controls Rivalry!

Girls’ Volleyball: Providence wins first game but Guards come back to take match in four.

In the early part of the decade, Read more

All-Area Team Selections!

BURBANK- The following players were named to the Burbank Leader All-Area teams…
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Six Earn All-CIF Honors!

BURBANK — Bellarmine-Jefferson High enjoyed a wealth of success this past season in basketball.
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Just Not Enough!

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: Bell-Jeff comes up short in state playoffs, 61-59. As many times as the Bellarmine-Jefferson Read more

Harvard-Westlake Sinks Bell-Jeff Once Again!

HARVARD WESTLAKE - Skylar Tsutsui said she’s still getting accustomed to all the attention; the mobs of fans rushing the court, the video cameras pointed in her face and the postgame interviews.

But Tsutsui and her Harvard-Westlake of Studio City teammates demonstrated again Thursday night that when it comes to the big moments during the game, the Wolverines don’t get overwhelmed.

Tsutsui’s free throws with five seconds remaining helped the host Wolverines defeat Bell-Jeff of Burbank for the third time this season, sealing a 61-59 victory in the Southern California regional quarterfinals in the Div. IV state girls’ basketball playoffs.

Harvard-Westlake (31-1), which recorded its 27th consecutive victory, plays host at 7p.m. Saturday to St. Joseph of Santa Maria (26-4) in the regional semifinals.

“At first, I was so nervous, but I took a few deep breaths and that helped me become more relaxed,” said Tsutsui, who sealed Harvard-Westlake’s 58-54 victory Saturday over Bishop Montgomery of Torrance in the Southern Section Div. IV-AA final on a layup with seven seconds remaining.

“My dad always taught me, if I smiled in those situations, it helps. So, I smiled, and it worked. They both felt really good when they left my fingers. As soon as (the ball) left, I knew it was going in.”

Layana White, who led the Guards (25-7) with 16 points, tied the score at 59-59 on a layup with 13 seconds remaining. But Nicole Nesbit quickly pushed the ball into the frontcourt, before it was knocked away and White was whistled for a foul after hitting Tsutsui’s legs diving for the loose ball in the right corner.

Following Tsutsui’s free throws, Rishonda Napier took the inbounds pass for Bell-Jeff. But the Guards’ bid to win back-to-back state championships - after capturing the Div. V title last year - came up short after Napier’s shot from just inside half court hit off the backboard as time expired.

“We looked at our opponent in the eye for four quarters and we battled. The kids kept believing in each other and they were able to come through and make big shots, just like they had all year,” Bell-Jeff coach Bryan Camacho said.

“But give credit to Harvard-Westlake. They find a way to win. They’ve been through the ups and downs and they’ve been through the battles. Credit Nesbit and (Nicole) Hung, those kids are winners.”

After a 22-point loss Dec. 21 at the Nike Tournament of Champions and a 66-62 setback Jan. 5 to Harvard-Westlake, Bell-Jeff didn’t make the Wolverines’ return to the regional semifinals an easy task.

Harvard-Westlake held an eight-point lead with seven minutes remaining, but despite the efforts of Nicole Hung (21 points, nine rebounds), Sydney Haydel (10 points, 12 rebounds) and Nesbit (13 points, seven rebounds, five steals), the Guards didn’t back down.

But when Jasmine Smith (12 points, 13 rebounds) picked up her fifth foul with 4:16 left, it made Bell-Jeff’s task even tougher. The Guards rallied behind free throws from Napier and White’s basket to pull even, before Tsutsui (10 points) kept alive the Wolverines’ pursuit of a state title.

“We saw the girls’ soccer team lose and we didn’t want that to be us,” Nesbit said. “We want to keep it going for Harvard-Westlake.”

Bell-Jeff Rebounds, Advances in State!

Corcoran - Bell-Jeff of Burbank took 10 days worth of frustration out on Corcoran in the opening round of the Southern California Div. IV girls’ basketball regional playoffs Tuesday night.

Freshman Leslie Lopez-Wood hit six 3-pointers and led Bell-Jeff with 24 points in a 76-55 victory over the Central Section Div. IV champion Panthers, setting up a third showdown this season in Thursday’s regional quarterfinals with top-seeded Harvard-Westlake of Studio City (30-1).

“We’re anxious, we’re ready and Thursday night we’re going to give it everything we’ve got,” Bell-Jeff coach Bryan Camacho said. “We know we’re going up against a monster, a phenomenal, but we’re excited about the opportunity. We’re going to give Harvard-Westlake our very best.”

Bell-Jeff, the defending Div. V state champion, rebounded from a 61-57 loss Feb. 27 to Windward in the Southern Section Div. IV-A semifinals to knock off host Corcoran (24-6).

Jasmine Smith had 14 points, Layana White added 10 points and Julia Tani contributed nine points for the Guards, who put the game away by outscoring Corcoran 17-9 in the third quarter.

Margeaux Gupilan added eight points and Rishonda Napier had seven points for Bell-Jeff, which suffered a 69-47 loss Dec. 21 to Div. IV-AA champion Harvard-Westlake and a 66-62 setback Jan. 5.

- Erik Boal

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