1989 Los Angeles Times ALL-STARS : Girls All-South Coast Team Includes 4 Juniors, One of Whom Is an All-American

There are two exceptional junior basketball players at Lynwood High School--Earnest Killum, who averaged almost 30 points a game for the boys team, and Linda Watson, who averaged 22 for the girls team.

“I think she’d beat Earnest (in a shooting contest),” Lynwood girls Coach Maurice Roberson said of Watson, one of the players on the 1989 Times All-South Coast High School Basketball Team.

Watson, a guard-forward, made 72 3-point shots (from beyond 19 feet) this season, breaking the CIF girls record of 55. She was named by Parade magazine as a first-team All-American.

“She can do everything,” Roberson said. “And she works on continually developing her skills. She’s not satisfied.”

Watson also averaged 9.5 rebounds, five assists and three steals as she led the 21-7 Knights to the San Gabriel Valley League championship and the second round of the CIF playoffs.

She made The Times’ All-South Coast Team for the second year in a row, as did another junior, Iesha Smith of Artesia. Altogether, there are four juniors on the team.

Compton, St. Joseph and Poly High each placed two players on the team.

The rest of the All-South Coast all-stars:

Kathleen Hill, Compton--At 5-foot-8, she held her own against taller players and averaged 13 points and 12 rebounds a game. “She’s very aggressive on the boards, and has a good attitude,” said Tarbabes Coach Carolyn Montgomery. Hill is effective either facing the basket or posting an opponent. She started last season as a sophomore.

Sharnette McMillan, Compton--”If she keeps her head together, look for her to be a Division I player,” Montgomery said of this junior who averaged 14 points and five assists. She led her team in scoring as point guard and is a very good offensive player, adept at shooting and leaping.

Miko Montgomery, Poly--Known as the Charles Barkley of girls high school basketball, the 5-8 Montgomery once weighed 220 pounds but now is about 195. “The only thing she doesn’t do (that Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers does) is dunk,” said Jackrabbits Coach Orlando Larracuente. “She handles the ball, goes coast to coast and can shoot with anyone, including boys.” Montgomery averaged 10 points and five rebounds for the Moore League champions. There’s a good chance she will go to Cal Poly Pomona.

Yvonne Vanlandingham, Poly--The Moore League’s MVP, she averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. A center who can also shoot 3-pointers, she did not start playing basketball until the middle of her sophomore year. Larracuente expects her to be a Division I player, possibly at San Jose State or Oregon State.

Lisa Fernandez, St. Joseph--Most valuable player of the Angelus League, this sharp shooter played all positions, averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and 4.6 steals. “She is not weak in anything,” Jesters Coach Margaret Bos said of Fernandez, who had five triple doubles. An outstanding pitcher, Fernandez is going to UCLA on a softball scholarship and wants to play basketball there. “I think she can make it,” Bos said.

Dana Montoya, St. Joseph--”She loves to play defense,” Bos said of the very quick Montoya, a guard who had six steals a game. She also averaged 10.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. “Dana and Lisa are both a coach’s dream players, they play with their hearts,” Bos said of Montoya and Fernandez.

Tameesha Hayes, St. Anthony--Hayes had a great year for a 15-8 team. She averaged 19.8 points a game, eight assists and five steals, shot 56% from the field and 78% from the foul line. “She plays a complete game, comes through in the clutch and doesn’t make many mistakes,” St. Anthony Coach Candy Gomez said. Hayes beat out Fernandez of St. Joseph for MVP of the St. Anthony Tournament. She also has a 3.8 grade-point average.

Iesha Smith, Artesia--The leader of the 19-5 Suburban League champions, this 5-10 junior averaged 25 points and five assists a game. She also shot 60% from the field and 70% from the free throw line. A player with great athletic ability, she is particularly effective in the open court, either driving to the basket or pulling up for a jump shot.

Minnie Blalock, Jordan--A three-year starter, this point guard played an up-tempo game and averaged 15.5 points, six assists and two steals for the 15-10 Panthers. In two seasons she made 89 shots from 3-point territory.

1989 ALL-STARS

The all-star boys and girls teams, each consisting of 10 members, their coaches and parents will be guests of The Times at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 2, at the annual Times High School Basketball Awards Brunch where all-stars teams from 12 circulation areas will be honored at the Anaheim Hilton. The featured speaker will be George Yardley, a former All-American at Stanford University, who went on to become the first player ever to score more than 2,000 points in an NBA season. The players and the coaches of the year from each area will be announced.

The teams were chosen on the basis of a poll of area coaches, who are asked to fill out ballots nominating their own players and opponents, plus the observations of college scouts and sportswriters. Each player will recieve the traditional Times golden basketball plaque and award certificate. Name: Kathleen Hill School: Compton Year: Junior Height: 5-9 Average: 13.0 Name: Sharnette McMillan School: Compton Year: Junior Height: 5-6 Average: 14.0 Name: Linda Watson School: Lynwood Year: Junior Height: 5-9 Average: 22.2 Name: Miko Montgomery School: Poly Year: Senior Height: 5-8 Average: 10.2 Name: Yvonne Vanlandigham School: Poly Year: Senior Height: 6-0 Average: 12.9 Name: Lisa Fernandez School: St. Joseph Year: Senior Height: 5-6 Average: 20.1 Name: Dana Montoya School: St. Joseph Year: Senior Height: 5-6 Average: 10.9 Name: Tameesha Hayes School: St. Anthony Year: Senior Height: 5-4 Average: 19.8 Name: Iesha Smith School: Artesia Year: Junior Height: 5-10 Average: 25.3 Name: Minnie Blalock School: Jordan Year: Senior Height: 5-4 Average: 15.5