Girls’ Basketball Dream Team: Bruening stood tall again

Corona del Mar High is a place where they hang banners in the gym for CIF championships, not league titles.

Nobody really paid attention to a program that had just one of each prior to the entrance of Natalia Bruening.

Having a player like Bruening in the mix changed things for CdM girls’ basketball, which was able to add one to the latter title count if not quite the former. Simply put, she helped create a culture of winning that she wants to continue.

“We have these summer camps where these little girls are like, ‘Oh, I went and saw you play!’” Bruening said. “It’s just so special to have all these girls come up to you like, ‘You’re a really good basketball player, I want to play now!’ To get the next generation of basketball players so excited about it, it’s just super-special.”

So was the 6-foot-4 senior post player Bruening, who is now taking her talents from CdM to UC Santa Barbara. The Sea Kings will miss her.

She helped CdM reach three straight CIF semifinals for the first time in program history. Last year, the Sea Kings won a share of the Pacific Coast League title for the second time in program history. And with Bruening, they also won their first two CIF State Southern California Regional playoff games.

The most dominant girls’ basketball player to grace the area in some time, Bruening is well deserving of her third straight Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team Player of the Year award.

As a sophomore, Bruening shared the award with then-senior Estancia guard Celia Duran. The past two years, it’s been Bruening’s alone.

She earned it again this year after averaging 18 points, 12 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and two steals per game. Coach Mark Decker’s Sea Kings went 24-8, 8-2 in league to finish second. They won their CdM Tip-Off Tournament for the second straight year, with Bruening taking all-tournament team status. They also had more-than-respectable showings at their other two preseason tournaments, finishing fifth at the Segerstrom Tournament and third at the Ayala Best of the West Tournament.

After earning the No. 3 seed for the CIF Southern Section Division 3A semifinals before losing a heartbreaker at No. 2 La Cañada, 55-52, on a controversial three-pointer at the buzzer. Even in that tough loss, they showed fight, erasing a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Bruening, a middle blocker and two-time Dream Team selection in volleyball as well, never got to play in that CIF title game in either sport. The girls’ volleyball team came close her junior year, losing in the semifinals like the girls’ hoops team did the past three seasons.

But Bruening, the two-time Pacific Coast League MVP and All-CIF selection, leaves the hardwood with no regrets. She has one more game to play, as she’s in the Orange County North vs. South All-Star Game on April 23 at Cypress College.

“I’m incredibly happy,” said Bruening, who guided CdM back to the SoCal Regional quarterfinals for the second straight year before again losing at La Cañada. “Even though we weren’t able to overcome that semifinal rut that we’ve been stuck in, I’m still incredibly proud of all the effort and energy that was brought to the team. Even the fact that we made it to the semifinals three years in a row was a huge accomplishment. I’m just really proud to have been a part of such a historical team for CdM.”

Bruening got to have another memorable season with two other seniors, point guard Kelly Tam and center Krista Anderson, with whom she’s played since elementary school. All three were four-year varsity players for CdM. From sophomore year on, they helped CdM achieve a record of 68-27.

“It was pretty awesome,” Bruening said. “It’s going to be really tough not playing with those two next year. Really, when I think of basketball, I have to think of those two. They’ve been there for everything. It’s super-special to have gone through it with them. We’ve played together since third and fifth grade; it’s just crazy.”

What’s also remarkable is the development of Bruening, who over time has even added a reliable three-point shot to her arsenal. Decker said she leaves CdM with the school record in both rebounds and blocked shots, though totals were not available.

Yet, to him, there were many aspects of her game that improved. He knows that the Gauchos will be getting an intelligent player.

“Physically, her play improved every year,” Decker said. “She always added something to her game physically, but I definitely think the mental part of it every year has improved. This year, especially, I didn’t see the frustration that definitely came out freshman, sophomore year. She was confident. It’s different being a 6-4 post player than being a point guard. A lot of things don’t go your way, and I think the way she dealt with it this year was really, really impressive. I think it made her a better player overall.”

Decker said Bruening and the whole senior class, which also included starting forward Kat Hess, have elevated expectations for the program. A key player next year will be another Bruening, Tatiana, who is Natalia’s younger sister. “Tati” played off the bench this season as a freshman post.

“I’m super-excited for her future,” Natalia Bruening said. “I think she’s going to step into a huge role for CdM next year, and I’m excited to see how she leaves her mark on the program.”

Natalia’s mark on the program is indelible.

Here’s a look at the other eight selections for the 2015-16 Newport-Mesa Girls’ Basketball Dream Team:

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Maya Van Den Heever

Estancia

When the senior point guard was on, Coach Judd Fryslie called Van Den Heever one of the best guards in the county. She was a team captain and leader on both offense and defense, averaging eight points and a team-best 5.4 assists per game, as well as 3.3 rebounds and two steals per contest. She helped Estancia (20-8, 9-1 in league) share the league title with Laguna Beach, Van Den Heever’s fourth title in four years with her twin sister Nefertiti. The Eagles also advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs before falling at top-seeded Marymount. Maya Van Den Heever is a four-time Dream Team selection.

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Heather Park

Sage Hill

The future appears very bright for Park, who stepped into a large role for Coach Kerwin Walters’ Lightning as a freshman point guard in charge of leading the offense. But she excelled in that spot. She led all Newport-Mesa players by averaging 19.7 points per game, also handing out three assists per contest. In Academy League play she upped that to 22.5 points per game, helping Sage Hill (18-7, 10-2 in league) finish in outright second place. Park then banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Lightning to a 48-47 win over Pasadena La Salle in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4A playoffs, the program’s first CIF victory in eight seasons, before Sage lost at Brentwood in the second round. Dangerous with the three-pointer or on drives to the basket, she was a first-team All-Academy League selection.

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McKenna Izzi

Newport Harbor

The senior guard again led the Sailors in her second year as a team captain, after missing several games in the preseason while waiting for a proper-fitting mask after nose surgery. Izzi averaged team-best totals of 13.6 points per game and 2.9 steals per game, as well as 4.6 rebounds per contest. Coach Jillian Blackledge was comfortable playing the versatile Izzi at both the point guard or the shooting guard, even at power forward at one point. She was a repeat first-team All-Sunset League selection for the Sailors, who finished 6-17 and 3-7 in league. They tied for fourth in league, which was their best showing in their 10 years in the Sunset League, and the three wins was their most in league since 2004. Izzi is an alternate for the Orange County All-Star Game on April 23, and Blackledge said she plans to play in college as well.

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Krista Anderson

Corona del Mar

Anderson started off the season strong, as she was the tournament MVP at the CdM Tip-Off Classic after helping the Sea Kings win their host tournament for the second straight year. The senior center was a second-team All-Pacific Coast League selection and an All-CIF Southern Section Division 3A honoree after averaging eight points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. More than that, Decker cited her sacrifices for the team. Anderson, a four-year varsity starter for CdM along with Bruening, was a key of the Sea Kings’ press-break defense and a gifted passer in the high-low offense. Anderson is a three-time Dream Team selection.

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Finley Garnett

Estancia

The Eagles struggled to score at times, which made the production of the sophomore forward all the more important. She averaged a team-best 11.4 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game, as well as two steals. In Orange Coast League play, the athletic Garnett upped her scoring total to 16.9 points per contest. She excelled despite playing out of position as a high post player for Estancia, instead of her more natural small forward role. She was a first-team All-Orange Coast League selection and appears ready to lead Estancia next season with the Van Den Heever twins graduating.

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Kenna Knollenberg

Sage Hill

Knollenberg and her twin sister Kate were impact players as sophomores for the Lightning. Kenna, a guard/forward, averaged 11 points per game for Sage Hill, but just as valuable were her six steals per contest. Walters called her one of the better all-around players in the Academy League, with a very strong basketball IQ and a competitive nature. Her anticipation on defense was a key element for Sage Hill. Kenna Knollenberg was a first-team all-league selection and, along with Park, is a key piece as Sage Hill continues to build up its program.

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Kelly Tam

Corona del Mar

Decker said the Sea Kings “don’t survive without Kelly,” which makes sense given that the senior was the team’s only true point guard. He praised her leadership in bringing the ball up, as well as her work ethic in practice and desire to continue to strive to get better. She averaged six points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game, and was a second-team All-Pacific Coast League selection. Tam, a four-year varsity player for the Sea Kings, will continue her basketball career at San Diego Christian College.

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Kat Hess

Corona del Mar

Hess said recently that she hopes to walk on for basketball at Harvard University, though her primary sport for the Crimson will be women’s soccer as a goalie. Don’t doubt her ability to do both, even at the next level. She switched from the basketball court to the pitch often this winter, playing both sports for CdM and excelling in both. For the girls’ basketball team, she was a gritty senior forward who averaged seven points, seven rebounds and two steals per game. Her aggressiveness and her athleticism were both keys for the Sea Kings, as she stepped into a starting role for the team this season.