Four straight for ‘Magnificent 7’

The Laney College women’s basketball team, despite having just seven players for most of the season, made the Northern California Regional State playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

The Eagles finished with a 15-11 overall record but went 12-2 in the Bay Valley Conference, tying for the title with Mendocino College. Laney lost both conference games to Mendocino, but defeated all the other BVC teams.

The Eagles opened the playoffs with a play-in game at San Jose City College on Feb. 27. Results were not available at press time.

If Laney defeats the Jaguars, they would play top-seeded Santa Rosa Junior College (24-6) on Saturday, March 2, at 5:30 p.m.

As a conference, the BVC is not highly regarded; Mendocino (19-7) is only seeded 14th in the playoffs. There was some thought that only one team from the BVC would be picked for the playoffs; however, Laney got in.

The Eagles took one of the top BVC awards when sophomore guard Sharlina Gibson was voted the MVP of the conference. The 5-7 guard from Shasta High School in Redding averaged 13.7 points per game.

Gibson was also picked for the All-State first team.

Desirae Miller and Halee Mosley also were selected to the BVC first team.

“I think the seven young ladies that played this season are to be congratulated,” coach Ron Williams said in an email statement, “especially since there were times that they actually played with only six players.”

The ‘Magnificent Seven’ are: Gibson, Miller, Mosley, Kristen Edwards, Chermayne Moore, Olivia Dupart and Jordan Johnson.