Rams Lean on a Deep Bench After 23-6 Season
Six players return and seven freshmen join the team as it looks to defend its conference title and go further in the playoffs.
The women’s basketball team is hard at practice, gearing up for a new season. While practices are intense, players still find the time to cheer each other on. Sophomore guard Taryn Nasol said that’s what she wants to see when the games get tough, too.
“We’re all always there for each other and always supporting each other, no matter what,” Nasol said.
The Rams finished 23-6 last season and won the Coast Conference North Division before losing to Folsom Lake in the third round of the Northern California playoffs. Coach Derek Lau said the goal this year is to win the conference again, and make a run at a state title.
The Rams added seven freshmen: Mahlaysia Atkins, Nylah Dyson, Dini Tofi, Mariana Palomares, Daisy Pantoja, Ariah Thompson and Iwalani Lealao. Lau said the newcomers can get up and down the floor quickly and make good decisions with the ball. He also said that having 13 players he can turn to gives him more options if someone gets sick or hurt.
Lau said last season’s team won with speed and physical play. He thinks this group could be faster and stronger, but he wants to see how the players respond in a game before comparing the two teams.
“We have to get into the fire to see what the difference is between this year’s team and last year’s team first,” Lau said.
Dyson, a freshman guard who came from just across the street at Riordan, said she picked City College because it offered nursing, her major, and because she liked the team.
The hardest part of the move from high school to college has been facing bigger, stronger players, Dyson said. She’s spending time in the weight room and learning to go up off both feet near the basket.
Nasol said Dyson and Pantoja stood out for what they do when they aren’t scoring. Both talk on defense and help their teammates, she said. Nasol is especially eager to play with Dyson because she can see where players are on the floor and get them to the right spots. Nasol also pointed to Patriceia Walsh, a second-team All-State honors last season, as someone who brings energy to the team and looks out for her teammates.
Nasol said last season taught her to speak up. Now, when a freshman makes a mistake in practice, she tells her what she can fix and reminds her to get back for the next play. Nasol said it takes time to find a role on a college team after being one of the best players in high school.
Looking back at their loss to Folsom Lake in the playoffs last season, Nasol said the Rams played their best in the first half and could have prepared better. She wants to put in more work on her own this season and said the team can build stamina in the weight room and on the track.
Lau wants his players to talk more, keep up their effort and make the extra pass. In practice, that means driving into the paint, drawing defenders and passing to a teammate for an easier shot.
Lau invited City College students, faculty and fans to come watch the Rams this season.
“Come out and support us. We like to play a fast, up-tempo game, and it’s exciting,” Lau said.
For Nasol, the goal in her last season at City College is a championship banner.
“We want to hang one up this year,” she said.
