Lewis’ Death Has Players Reeling

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”

That was the favorite inspirational quote for California basketball player Alisa Lewis, according to the Bears’ team media guide.

Who knew those words of inspiration would be chillingly prophetic.

Lewis, 20, a junior, died Monday of what doctors suspect is a rare form of bacterial meningitis. She had been taken to the Kaiser Medical Center in Oakland on Sunday after complaining of a severe headache, rash and flu-like symptoms.

Services are pending.

Cal has games in Los Angeles this week against USC and UCLA. There were discussions Tuesday afternoon whether the Friday game against the Trojans would be postponed. Cal officials decided Tuesday night to go ahead with the games.

“We are willing to do whatever supports them during this time,” USC Coach Chris Gobrecht said before the decision to play the games was announced. “If [postponing the game] needs to happen, we will make it happen.”

Said Bear Coach Caren Horstmeyer: “This is a very tough time, and basketball is the last thing anyone is thinking of. But both the Pac-10 and USC have been very supportive.”

Other Pac-10 coaches were shocked by Lewis’ death.

“I can’t imagine this happening,” said Arizona State Coach Charli Turner Thorne. “I expect it to have a carryover effect on our team. It’s in our conference, and she’s of their age. It’s much more devastating for Cal, but we’re all feeling emotional about it.”

Washington Coach June Daugherty had a life-and-death situation on her team last year when forward Kayla Burt collapsed in her off-campus apartment.

Fortunately, Burt had several teammates visiting at the time, and they were credited with saving her life.

Burt, who no longer plays college basketball, had a rare and undiagnosed heart condition.

“It’s important that you realize ... that everyone’s perspective with basketball has gone through an enormous change the last 48 hours,” Daugherty said. “People should do everything they can do to surround and embrace the program.

“It’s going to be the biggest challenge of Caren’s career to deal with this. As far as getting the team to regroup and play, the emphasis was to make sure the kids knew they were supported and loved. And when it’s time to get back to basketball, it’s the kids’ call. They need time to grieve and go through this as a program. We, as a league, must allow Cal to get through this and get back to basketball when they are ready.”

Lewis, a junior, was a role player with the Bears. She concentrated on defense and rebounding and rarely looked for her shot.

Her career-high point total for a game was nine.

This season she had appeared in 10 games for Cal, all off the bench.

She averaged 8.1 minutes, 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds.

Her last game appearance was Jan. 8 in a home contest against Arizona. Lewis played for two minutes and was 0 for 1 from the field.

“This is a kid everyone liked,” Horstmeyer said. “She was an incredible person -- happy, positive and hard-working. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body and was friends with everybody. She was a coach’s dream.”

Although born in Minnesota, Lewis grew up in Northern California.

She began her prep career at Fairfield High but moved to Spokane, Wash., where she played her senior year at Gonzaga Prep.

Lewis led the Greater Spokane League in scoring as a senior and led her team in rebounding and blocked shots.

“She was a spectacular player,” recalled Mike Arte, coach at Gonzaga Prep. “More important, she always smiled, said thank you and was polite. And even though she was our star player, she worked harder than anyone else. She came early and stayed after every practice.

“We’re a school of 900 kids with perhaps 2% being African American. But we learned more from her than we could ever teach her.... I feel very blessed to have coached her.”

Arte said it was always Lewis’ dream to go to Cal. Even though her career did not turn out the way she envisioned, he said she was very happy to be there.

“She was getting her education in social work,” Arte said. “She was one of those rare kids who had her life planned and was going to work to achieve those goals.

“I’m struggling with why this happens to kids like this.”

Dr. Peter Dietrich, director of the University Health Service at Cal, said doctors believe Lewis may have contracted meningococcal meningitis, a bacterial strain that can feel like cold-like symptoms in the nose or throat. But they won’t know for sure until they get results from Lewis’ blood tests.

“Medically we don’t know what triggered Lewis illness, or if she was even a carrier,” Dietrich said. “She may have just been exposed to it.

“But there are some people who can have the bacteria and not become ill.”

Bacterial meningitis can rapidly spread infection to the brain and spinal cord.

An estimated 10% of people who develop meningococcal meningitis die from the complications. Another 10% can suffer lasting damage, like hearing loss or mental retardation.

Two years ago Virginia Tech player Rayna DuBose contracted meningococcal meningitis, and went into a coma for three weeks.

The infection caused major tissue damage, and DuBose needed surgery to amputate her hands and feet.