Girls’ Basketball Preview: Twins help Eagles win
This past summer was a big time for the Estancia High twins of Maya and Nefertiti Van Den Heever.
They celebrated their 18th birthday in July, and they competed in the South Pacific Games as part of the Solomon Islands national women’s basketball team.
They also came back to Costa Mesa for their senior year with the Estancia girls’ basketball team with some ink. Maya got a tribal tattoo on her right thigh, and Nefertiti got one on her right foot.
“I remember there was this one practice when I asked my coach if I could sit out,” Nefertiti Van Den Heever said. “My tattoo wasn’t healed yet, and I couldn’t sweat. He was confused at first.”
Estancia Coach Judd Fryslie usually isn’t the biggest fan of tattoos. When he heard the twins had got tribal tattoos, though, he understood and was cool with it. Fryslie said he understands the islander lifestyle.
“It was really cool that he liked it, that he was OK with it,” Nefertiti said, and Maya agreed.
“I thought he was going to get mad,” said Maya, the more outgoing of the twins, laughing and flashing her trademark big smile.
In terms of basketball at Estancia, the Van Den Heever twins have had plenty to smile about. They have won the Orange Coast League title in each of their three previous varsity seasons at Estancia. Last year, some expected the Eagles to fall off a bit following the graduation of Newport-Mesa Player of the Year Celia Duran. Instead, the Eagles went 10-0 in league and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs.
“Everyone thought we were going to go down when Celia left, and all the post players like Lehua [Alama-Jordan] and Michelle [Simmons] left,” Maya Van Den Heever said. “But we proved them wrong.”
Maya, last year’s Orange Coast League MVP and a two-time Dream Team selection, is a dynamic 5-foot-6 point guard. Fryslie compares her to Magic Johnson, and it somehow doesn’t appear to be a stretch as you watch her lead the fastbreak or throw a crazy no-look pass. She was an all-tournament team selection at the Orange Tournament, where Estancia (7-2) placed third.
“She’s getting more comfortable with it all the time,” Fryslie said. “I never discouraged it, you know, because I grew up a Magic fan. Her dribbling has come a long way too. She’s gotten to the point where it’s virtually impossible to double-team her in the open court. JSerra found that out [last year in the CIF quarterfinals]. They would have killed us even worse if they’d have been able to do that.”
Nefertiti, at 5-5, plays a different role in the post. The Eagles don’t have a lot of size this season, and they rely on her to get rebounds. She has come through in that regard early in the season for the Eagles.
After she gets the defensive rebound, she makes sure to throw a quick outlet pass. That often leads to a layup on the other end for the team’s leading scorer, sophomore forward Finley Garnett.
“When you see Finley scoring a fast-break layup at the other end, it usually starts with Nef, and delivered by Maya,” Fryslie said.
The Van Den Heever twins, both team captains, have delivered plenty of thrills over the years. They were noticeable at a young age, when they donned big Afro-style hair as they started to focus on basketball in third grade at California Elementary. Then, it was on to TeWinkle Intermediate.
Playing basketball for their country also has made them celebrities in the Solomon Islands.
“There’s like three buses that have our pictures on it,” Maya said. “It’s really weird looking at it. It’s unbelievable.”
Now they’re in their fourth and final year at Estancia. The goal, of course, is another league title. The season is off to a solid start, as Estancia is ranked No. 12 in Division 4AA.
“That’s our goal right now,” Maya said of earning Orange Coast League superiority yet again. “We just have to play our butts off, and just play smarter than all of them. We want it more.”
As for the future, the twins said they are thinking of playing basketball at Orange Coast College. And representing their country again would be fun. Playing on the national team this past summer, when they were the two youngest players, was a good experience for them.
“It was really hard,” Nefertiti said. “They were more experienced and really good. But it was a really good experience. It made me better, just to play at that high level. I hope that I go to another South Pacific Games in 2019, and that would be in Tonga.”
But first, they want to finish off high school with a bang. Including this preseason so far, Estancia has a 70-23 overall record in their time at the school.
“When it’s said and done, they’re probably going to be here for about 80 wins,” Fryslie said. “For four years, that’s pretty good. I don’t know how I’m going to replace them ... Everybody knows they’re in charge.”
Here’s a look at the five Newport-Mesa girls’ basketball programs for the 2015-16 season:
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Corona del Mar
Coach: Mark Decker (10th year)
2014-15 season: 23-9, 8-2 in the Pacific Coast League (co-champion); lost at North Torrance in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA playoffs; lost at Orange Lutheran in the quarterfinals of the CIF State Southern California Regional Division III playoffs
Players to watch: F Natalia Bruening (Sr.); C Krista Anderson (Sr.); PG Kelly Tam (Sr.); F Kat Hess (Sr.); G Tia Grippo (Soph.); F Tatiana Bruening (Fr.)
You should know: Expectations are high for the Sea Kings, who have advanced to the CIF semifinals each of the last two years. Last year, they also won just the second league title in program history, sharing it with traditional powerhouse Woodbridge. Bruening, a two-time Newport-Mesa Player of the Year who has signed with UC Santa Barbara, leads the way, and teams find it hard to contend with her 6-foot-4 height along with 6-2 center Anderson. Hess, a standout soccer goalie who is playing both sports this winter, adds toughness and also is a returning starter. CdM was ranked No. 2 in Division 3AA to open the season and is off to a strong start after winning the CdM Tip-Off Tournament for the second straight year; Anderson was the tournament MVP.
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Costa Mesa
Coach: Lauren Coleman (first year)
2014-15 season: 8-19, 3-7 in the Orange Coast League (tied for fourth place); lost at Santa Monica in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs
Players to watch: G Katie Lawrence (Sr.); C Pristina Mataafa (Jr.); Post Katie Belmontes (Fr.); PG Samantha Filner (Fr.); PG Lizette Gomez (Sr.)
You should know: It has been tough in the early going for the Mustangs, who are still searching for their first win. But Coleman is optimistic that the team will be competitive by the time Orange Coast League play begins. The former Florida State player takes over as head coach for Nichole Maddox, who stepped down after six seasons. This year’s Costa Mesa team is young, but Lawrence is a returning player who led the Mustangs by scoring 13.8 points per game last season. And Coleman said that Mataafa, the younger sister of Mesa football standout Mason Mataafa, also has much potential. Costa Mesa is hosting its annual Winter Holiday Classic from Dec. 26-30.
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Estancia
Coach: Judd Fryslie (second year as head coach following six years as co-coach)
2014-15 season: 19-9, 10-0 in the Orange Coast League (champion); lost at JSerra in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs
Players to watch: PG Maya Van Den Heever (Sr.); F Nefertiti Van Den Heever (Sr.); F Finley Garnett (Soph.); C Sam Wagner (Sr.); F Maddy Letterman (Jr.); G Delani Guyot (Jr.)
You should know: The Eagles, who are ranked No. 12 in CIF Southern Section Division 4AA, are gunning for their fourth straight Orange Coast League title. With a 7-2 record, they are off to a strong start in the preseason. Estancia lost Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection Slade Garnett to graduation but return two other Dream Teamers in Maya Van Den Heever and Finley Garnett, who led Estancia in scoring last year as a freshman and appears poised to do that again. One possible issue is that the Eagles don’t particularly have a lot of size inside besides Wagner, so everyone will need to help with crashing the boards.
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Newport Harbor
Coach: Jillian Blackledge (first year)
2014-15 season: 8-16, 1-9 in the Sunset League (tied for fifth place); failed to qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division 2A playoffs
Players to watch: PG McKenna Izzi (Sr.); G Angelina Alvarez (Jr.); F Lexi Grantz (Sr.); F/C Lisa Hamilton (Jr.); F Amanda Lacher (Sr.)
You should know: Blackledge, who was the Sailors’ JV coach the past two years, takes over the varsity job after Shelly VanDusen resigned. She is a Newport Harbor girls’ basketball alumna who graduated in 2009. The Sailors have been playing hard for her but not necessarily getting wins, with a 2-8 record. Getting Izzi (nose surgery), a Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection a year ago, back earlier this week against Estancia should help. But with just three more nonleague games remaining before starting the daunting Sunset League schedule, wins may be hard to come by. They did beat Marina last year to snap a 37-game league losing streak.
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Sage Hill
Coach: Kerwin Walters (fourth year)
2014-15 season: 12-14, 5-7 in the Academy League (fifth place); failed to qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division 4A playoffs
Players to watch: PG Heather Park (Fr.); G/F Kenna Knollenberg (Soph.); G/F Kate Knollenberg (Soph.); F/C Emily Hubiltz (Jr.)
You should know: Walters believes that this year’s Lightning can ultimately contend for an Academy League title, something the program hasn’t earned since the 2008-09 season. Park is a dynamic freshman who is averaging 16.5 points per game, while the twins of Kenna and Kate Knollenberg are both versatile. The Lightning hope to get back Kate Knollenberg, who has missed much of the season with plantar fasciitis, back in time for their San Diego tournament that begins Dec. 28. As one of the team’s top defensive players, Sage will need her in league play, where Walters said that Oxford Academy has emerged as a favorite. The Lightning play Oxford Academy in the league opener Jan. 5.
