Mann Reprises Her Role, Point Loma Still Winning

Point Loma High School girls’ basketball Coach Lee Trepanier must have had mixed emotions last summer as he pondered the Pointers’ immediate future.

The Pointers finished 29-0 during the 1983-84 season and were crowned Division II state basketball champions. However, four of the five starters who led Point Loma to that title graduated in June. The one remaining starter was 6-1 center Terri Mann.

“She’s the best player I’ve ever coached,” Trepanier said. “She’s the best player San Diego has ever seen.”

Only a sophomore, Mann lived up to her coach’s expectations this season. She has set a San Diego Section record by grabbing 520 rebounds so far this season and averaged 26 points per game. Mann was named to The Times’ All-San Diego County girls’ basketball team for the second straight season.

Most important, Point Loma has stretched its winning streak to 56 games and will play on Saturday for another state championship. The Pointers (27-0) will meet San Francisco Wilson for the Division I title on Saturday in the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Arena.

But one player, regardless of her talents, cannot carry a team to the state level unless her teammates also contribute. And Trepanier has built a strong team around Mann.

Jessica Benton, a 6-4 junior transfer from Sacramento, is one forward, and 5-11 junior Michelle Collum, who was first off the bench last season, is the other. Maureen Carey, a 5-8 junior who saw a lot of playing time off the bench last season, is the starting off guard, and 5-2 Chanelle McCoy, a junior transfer from Lincoln High, is the Pointers’ point guard.

On a team of exceptional height, the 5-2 McCoy has proven to be the biggest addition of them all.

McCoy, who averaged 18.7 points this season, has become a force during the playoffs. In the San Diego Section 3-A title game, she scored 33 points to lead Point Loma past Fallbrook, 86-52. In the Southern California Regionals against Crenshaw, McCoy scored an early 10 points to lead the Pointers to a quick 16-2 advantage. She finished with 16 points and Point Loma won, 63-51. In the regional championship game on Saturday, McCoy scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Pointers over Delano, 59-49.

According to Trepanier, McCoy’s only weakness is on defense, but the coach compensates with Carey, a defensive specialist who averages just three points per game.

“I put Maureen on the other team’s best guard,” Trepanier said. “She’s not a scorer, but she doesn’t have to score.”

Similar to Carey’s roll at guard, is the one Collum plays at forward. Collum, who averages 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, is Point Loma’s defensive specialist around the basket.

“I put her on the other team’s best player,” Trepanier said, “and she denies that player the basketball.”

Benton, the tallest of the Pointers, averages 9.5 points a game.

“Jess is a very fine player. She is very good on defense,” Trepanier said. “She was one of my two lucky transfers, along with Chanelle.”

There is not a senior to be found on the entire 10-girl Point Loma roster, so there should be no need for lucky transfers next season.