Los Angeles Times : 1990 ALL-STARS : Meet the Kings and Queens of the Court : Leslie Head, Shoulders Above Rest

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 1, at the annual Times High School Basketball Awards Brunch where all-star teams from 12 circulation areas will be honored at the Anaheim Hilton. The players and 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 receive the traditional Times golden basketball plaque and award certificate.

When Coach Frank Scott says Lisa Leslie “meant a lot” to the Morningside High School girls basketball team, he modestly understates the obvious.

Many believe she meant everything to the Lady Monarchs’ continued success.

In four years as a starter, Leslie helped Morningside to two State Division I championships, three Southern Section major-division titles and a staggering 124-9 record, including a 28-2 mark in postseason play.

Individually, she assaulted the record books like no other high school girl since the legendary Cheryl Miller. Leslie’s achievements included:

Scoring 2,896 career points, second-best mark in Southern Section history behind Miller’s record of 3,446.

Grabbing 1,705 career rebounds, best in Southern Section history.

Scoring 101 points in a half, four short of the national single-game mark of 105 set by Miller at Riverside Poly in 1982. (Leslie was denied the record when South Torrance quit at halftime of an Ocean League game this season).

It all added up to a phenomenal career for the 6-foot-5 center, who earned a spot on The Times South Bay All-Star Basketball Team for the third straight year. She was the area’s Player of the Year last season.

Leslie is joined on the 10-girl squad by two other repeat selections--West Torrance guard Rosa Olloque and North Torrance center Laura Collins--as well as her heir apparent at Morningside, 6-4 sophomore forward Janet Davis.

Morningside was one of three schools to have two all-star selections, the others being West with Olloque and back-court mate Mary Litzenberg, and Palos Verdes with guards Lisa Humphreys and Susan Wilhite.

Forwards Bernice Alafua of Carson and Shasta Paris of Narbonne, and guard Lily Cabaleiro of Bishop Montgomery round out the team.

Leslie, a highly recruited player who has narrowed her college choices to USC, Notre Dame and Long Beach State, said she enjoyed this season more than any other at Morningside.

“Our team had a lot of different personalities,” she said. “We had to come together and play together, or we couldn’t have won.”

The Lady Monarchs (32-3) started the season ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today, but soon fell out of the newspaper’s Super 25 poll after they lost three tournament games in December. The setback proved temporary, however.

Morningside regrouped and stormed to a 14-0 Ocean League record, extending its streak to 86 league victories and eight titles. After adding the Southern Section 5-AA and regional titles, Morningside successfully defended its State Division I championship March 17 by beating Berkeley, 67-56, in Oakland.

The last game of Leslie’s prep career proved memorable as she put together a 35-point, 12-rebound, seven-blocked shot performance despite suffering from chickenpox, strep throat and a high fever. The illnessess were diagnosed after she was taken to a hospital following the game.

“I can’t figure out how she played,” Scott said several days later. “It showed how much of a competitor she is.”

Leslie, who never missed a start in 133 games at Morningside, finished her senior season averaging 26.9 points, 15 rebounds and 6.9 blocked shots a game. Her point (941) and rebound (525) totals are each the third-best season marks in Southern Section history. Records are not kept for blocked shots.

For her career, she averaged 21.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 6.2 blocks.

Just as impressive are Leslie’s numbers away from the court. She carries a 3.5 grade-point average and earlier this year was named the Dial Award winner as the top high school female scholar-athlete in the nation.

She still needs an NCAA-qualifying score of 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test after scoring 680 on her first two attempts.

Davis, considered one of the best sophomores in the state, combined with Leslie to provide Morningside with a dominant 1-2 punch in the front court. She averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds, and was forced to pick up the slack several times in the playoffs when Leslie was benched with foul trouble.

Davis enjoyed one of her best games in the state final against Berkeley, contributing 14 points and seven rebounds.

“If I was going to hand my hat to somebody behind me,” Leslie said, “(Davis) would be the person I’d hand it to.”

If there was a team that rivaled Morningside’s success this season, it was Palos Verdes.

Many believed the Sea Kings were destined for a rebuilding season after the graduation of 6-4 twins Heather and Heidi Burge, now attending the University of Virginia. But, under the experienced hand of Coach Wendell Yoshida, Palos Verdes proved that a team without superstars could be just as successful, if not more so.

Led by the back court of Humphreys and Wilhite, Palos Verdes went unbeaten in the Bay League to extend its league winning streak to 47 games, and swept through the playoffs, losing only to powerful Brea-Olinda in the Southern Section 3-AA and Southern California Division III finals by scores of 50-33 and 47-46, respectively. The Sea Kings finished 29-6.

Humphreys averaged a team-leading 14.9 points, 3.9 assists and 3.1 steals for perhaps the area’s most balanced team. She scored a game-high 18 points in the regional finals. Wilhite, a steady point guard, averaged 10 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals. They were named Co-Most Valuable Players in the Bay League.

West Torrance was the third South Bay team to reach a Southern Section title game, losing in the 4-A finals to La Quinta of Westminster, 72-62. The Warriors (22-7), who finished second in the Ocean League behind Morningside, enjoyed their finest season ever under veteran Coach Kevin McManus.

The back-court tandem of Olloque and Litzenberg forged West’s success. A dynamic player known for her aggressive drives to the basket, Olloque averaged 22 points, nine assists and four steals. McManus rates Olloque the second-best player in the South Bay behind Leslie.

Litzenberg complemented Olloque with her steady play. The team captain, she averaged 16 points and 9.5 rebounds, and was West’s top three-point shooter.

North Torrance’s Collins, who signed early with UCLA, led the Saxons to the Southern Section 4-A quarterfinals for the second straight year. Like West, they also lost to La Quinta, 60-49. The 6-foot Collins averaged 25.1 points, the second-best mark in the area behind Leslie, and 15.4 rebounds, the South Bay’s top mark. She was named Most Outstanding Player in the Ocean League.

Although Alafua was just a sophomore, her strong inside play helped Carson to the Pacific League title and the L.A. City 4-A semifinals, where the Colts fell to eventual champion Washington. Alafua averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds and four assists a game.

Narbonne’s Paris beat out Alafua for the Pacific League’s Most Valuable Player award. A three-year starter, she averaged 18.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and four assists a game, and led the Gauchos to the L.A. City 4-A semifinals, where they lost to Van Nuys.

Cabaleiro was the floor leader for surprising Bishop Montgomery, which reached the semifinals of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs after finishing second in the Angelus League. The junior point guard averaged 15.8 points and 6.1 assists, and orchestrated a 51-44 upset of top-seeded La Habra in the 4-A quarterfinals. The Knights lost to West in the semifinals, 75-61.

Girls Prep Team: Name: Bernice Alafua School: Carson Year: Sophomore Height: 5-11 Average: 22.0 Name: Lily Cabaleiro School: Bishop Montgomery Year: Junior Height: 5-6 Average: 15.8 Name: Laura Collins School: North Torrance Year: Senior Height: 6-0 Average: 25.1 Name: Janet Davis School: Morningside Year: Sophomore Height: 6-4 Average: 10.0 Name: Lisa Humphreys School: Palos Verdes Year: Senior Height: 5-11 Average: 14.9 Name: Lisa Leslie School: Morningside Year: Senior Height: 6-5 Average: 26.9 Name: Mary Litzenberg School: West Torrance Year: Senior Height: 5-7 Average: 16.0 Name: Rosa Olloque School: West Torrance Year: Senior Height: 5-6 Average: 22.0 Name: Shasta Paris School: Narbonne Year: Senior Height: 6-0 Average: 18.4 Name: Susan Wilhite School: Palos Verdes Year: Senior Height: 5-6 Average: 10.0 SECOND TEAM GIRLS

Name, School Year Height Average Nicole Blue, Inglewood Sr. 6-0 14.6 Tiffany Fujimoto, Torrance Fr. 5-7 11.8 Carolyn Hiramoto, North Torrance Sr. 5-8 10.8 Kawasci Jackson, Leuzinger Sr. 5-7 16.0 Mary Maloney, Palos Verdes Sr. 6-0 9.6 Suzy McIver, Redondo Sr. 5-3 13.0 Monique Morehouse, Palos Verdes So. 6-3 11.7 Princess Murray, Morningside Jr. 5-9 5.8 Kala Parker, Chadwick Jr. 5-3 16.5 Jstone Vines, San Pedro Sr. 5-3 18.5