Forget Nicknames, Point Is Point Loma Is Best

Perhaps it is time for Point Loma High School forward Terri Mann to find a new nickname. Mann, a 6-foot 1-inch sophomore, goes by the name of “Baby Moses,” but there is nothing childish about the way she plays basketball.

Mann scored 32 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, blocked 6 shots and stole 3 passes to lead the Pointers to a 53-48 victory over Wilson of San Francisco in the State Division I championship game Saturday night at Oakland Coliseum Arena.

Those numbers conjure thoughts of a franchise player . . . certainly not a baby. Or, simply call Mann a winner. She’s never lost a high school game as the Pointers won their 57th consecutive game in typical style, opening a big lead and holding on at the end.

Point Loma won its second straight state title by making some clutch free throws down the stretch after Wilson trimmed a 10-point deficit to two points with 36 seconds remaining. Mann made two free throws with 16 seconds remaining, and then teammate Jessica Benton hit one with three seconds left for the final margin.

Point Loma, which was elevated from Division II to Division I this season, finished with a 28-0 record and the only question lingering after the title game was: Do the Pointers have a dynasty in the making?

“I’m not going to start talking about a dynasty, but we’ll always be tough with Terry in the lineup,” Pointer Coach Lee Trepainier said. “I’ll take her while I have her.”

Who wouldn’t? Many consider Mann the premier power forward in the state, combining strength with a good shooting touch. Wilson’s only hope of containing her was in the third quarter when she picked up her fourth foul and went to the bench. But she never did foul out.

“Every team has tried something different to stop her, but nobody has,” Trepainier said. “The refs are the only ones who have been able to stop her. The officials tonight put Terry in early foul trouble with some silly calls, but she still came through.”

At halftime, Mann had 20 points, nearly outscoring Wilson, who trailed 33-21. About the only thing Wilson fans had to cheer was Edie Lewis’ desperation 22-foot shot that banked in at the buzzer and cut the Pointers’ lead to 12 points.

Point Loma seemed to go through the motions in the third quarter but was still in control, 39-29, going into the last quarter when Wilson came to life. Lewis made two long jump shots to spark the Warriors’ offense and then Yvette Cole got Wilson rolling in the final two minutes of play.

Cole scored on a baseline jump shot with 2:01 left to play to cut Point Loma’s lead to 48-42 and then stole a pass and scored a layup 15 seconds later to move the Warriors closer, 48-44. But Mann, utilizing a very unorthodox style, made two free throws with 1:09 remaining to give the Pointers some breathing room, 50-44.

“Terry’s free-throw shooting style isn’t pretty, but she gets the job done,” Trepainier said. “Last year, she was a 44% shooter and this year she improved to 63%.” Mann made 6 of 10 free throws, including 2 with 16 seconds remaining that sealed the win.

“No doubt, we were playing not to lose in the fourth quarter,” said Trepainier. “We have to work hard in practice to overcome complacency and keep our sharp edge.

“This title feels better than the last one because the team matured and came together. We were the leaders in the state and were able to maintain that status.”

But the Pointers’ unbeaten status was in doubt until Mann made four free throws. The sophomore said the game-saving shots with 16 seconds left were anything but routine.

“Those were two of the scariest free throws I’ve ever shot,” she said. “All I was thinking about during the timeout was putting the shots in the basket and winning the game.”

Only one other Pointer player--point guard Chanelle McCoy--scored in double figures with 13 points. She also had five assists. Cole led Wilson with 17 points and Lisa Danner added 13 points.

This game was Mann’s show. Although some may consider it premature to place her among the state’s best players, Trepainier doesn’t hesitate to praise his talented player.

“Before she’s finished, Terry will have established herself as the best power forward to play the game in the state,” he said. “People are always asking me to compare her to Cheryl Miller.

“Well, that’s not fair. They’re two completely different types of players. Cheryl is a finesse player while Terry plays a power game inside. Strength is the name of her game.”