Reign of the Monarchs: Davis, Boseman Are Top Players : Girls: Junior center leads eight underclass players on all-star team. Bishop Montgomery’s Hurt is coach of the year.

Janet Davis, the dominating center who led Morningside High to its fourth consecutive trip to the State Division I title game, has been named the South Bay girls’ basketball player of the year by The Times.

Cedric Hurt, who guided Bishop Montgomery to its first-ever appearance in the CIF-Southern Section Division II-AA final, was named girls’ coach of the year.

Davis and Hurt will be honored at 9 a.m. Sunday at The Times boys and girls basketball awards program at the Anaheim Sheraton Hotel. The invitational event, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times fund, is exclusively for the 48 winners of the player and coach of the year awards from The Times’ 12 circulation areas.

The 6-foot-4 Davis was the driving force behind another successful season for Morningside. The Lady Monarchs tied Palos Verdes for the Ocean League title before winning the CIF-Southern Section Division I-AA and state regional titles. Morningside was favored to win its third consecutive state title, but Berkeley dashed any dreams of a “three-peat” with a stunning 76-50 victory Saturday night at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

Davis, a junior, is among eight underclass players on the 10-girl all-star team. Palos Verdes, the State Division III champion and winner of two of three meetings with Morningside, has three players on the team. Morningside was next with two first-team players.

Hurt, the former coach at St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood, did a remarkable job in his first season at Bishop Montgomery. The Knights finished second in the competitive Mission League (third-place St. Bernard won the CIF Division III-A title) and won four playoff games before losing to Woodbridge of Irvine, 47-37, in the Division II-A final.

A closer look at the all-stars:

Bernice Alafua (Carson, center, Jr.)--An intimidating force inside, Alafua helped the Colts win the Pacific League title and reach the L.A. City 4-A Division semifinals with her dominant play. She averaged 20.6 points and 13.5 rebounds to lead area players. Coach Jay Park says Alafua is the most talented girls’ player in Carson history.

Kelly Bryant (Inglewood, center, Jr.)--Another of the area’s talented junior class, Bryant led the Lady Sentinels to a 10-0 Bay League record and to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I-A playoffs. She averaged 14.5 points and 11 rebounds and was named all-tournament at Gahr. A player to watch next season.

Lily Cabaleiro (Bishop Montgomery, guard, Sr.)--An All-CIF and All-South Bay pick last season, Cabaleiro was even more impressive as a senior. She averaged a team-leading 17.1 points, helping the Knights to the CIF Division II-A final and a 24-6 record.

Janet Davis (Morningside, center, Jr.)--The heir apparent to Lisa Leslie, Davis came into her own this season. She averaged 20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 8.5 blocks shots as the Lady Monarchs finished 32-3. She was named to the Parade All-America team and was MVP of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions and the Morningside Tournament. Davis shared MVP honors in the Ocean League with Palos Verdes point guard Kristen Mulligan.

Akiba Flanagan (Morningside, forward, Sr.)--A steady player all season for the state finalist Lady Monarchs, Flanagan took some of the pressure off Davis with her inside play. She averaged 16.5 points and nine rebounds, earning All-Ocean League honors, and was Morningside’s leading scorer with 14 points in its state final loss to Berkeley.

Tiffany Fujimoto (Torrance, guard, Soph.)--An all-around performer, Fujimoto led the Tartars in scoring (11.8), rebounds (8.7) and assists (3.3) on her way to All-Pioneer League honors. Her consistent play helped Torrance reach the second round of the CIF II-AA playoffs and a 19-8 record.

Jeffra Gausepohl (Palos Verdes, center, Jr.)--One of the South Bay’s most dominant post players, Gausepohl came on in the playoffs to help the Sea Kings to a 32-2 record and their first-ever state title. She averaged 12 points and seven rebounds and shot 49% from the field. Gausepohl was at her best in the postseason and scored a game-high 21 points in the Division III regional final against Lompoc.

Monique Morehouse (Palos Verdes, forward, Jr.)--The leading rebounder for the Sea Kings, Morehouse averaged 9.9 caroms and 11.4 points. Her impressive play inside was needed to neutralize other teams with imposing front lines, including Morningside (in league play), Lompoc (in the Southern Section and regional finals) and Healdsburg (in the state final).

Kristen Mulligan (Palos Verdes, guard, Jr.)--The catalyst for the State Division III champions, Mulligan established herself as the area’s premier point guard. She averaged 12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.8 steals, earning a reputation as a skilled and aggressive player. She shot 49% from the field and 81% from the free-throw line. Mulligan was named MVP of the L.A. Invitational and Artesia Tournaments.

Fatima Warren (San Pedro, forward, Jr.)--One of the area’s most prolific scorers, Warren averaged 18.2 points and scored 20 or more points in eight games. She scored a season-high 32 against Pacific League champion Carson. Although her team was only 8-12, Warren was recognized by the coaches as a first-team all-league player.

THE QUEENS OF THE COURT

Name, School Yr. Ht. Avg. Bernice Alafua, Carson Jr. 6-0 20.6 Kelly Bryant, Inglewood Jr. 6-1 14.5 Lily Cabaleiro, Bishop Montgomery Sr. 5-6 17.1 Janet Davis, Morningside Sr. 6-4 20.5 Akiba Flanagan, Morningside Sr. 5-8 16.5 Tiffany Fujimoto, Torrance Soph. 5-7 11.8 Jeffra Gausepohl, Palos Verdes Jr. 6-5 12.0 Monique Morehouse, Palos Verdes Jr. 6-3 11.4 Kristen Mulligan, Palos Verdes Jr. 5-7 12.5 Fatima Warren, San Pedro Jr. 5-9 18.2

GIRLS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR--Janet Davis, Morningside

GIRLS’ COACH OF THE YEAR--Cedric Hurt, Bishop Montgomery, Record: 24-6 ALL-SOUTH BAY BASKETBALL SECOND TEAMS

Girls

Pos Name School Ht Yr Avg G Raquel Alotis Palos Verdes 5-8 Jr. 10.6 C Michelle Campbell Banning 6-4 Jr. 11.9 F Rayjanette Lampkin Carson 5-7 Jr. 13.5 G Mirlen Martinez Bish. Mont. 5-7 Jr. 11.4 F Mimi McKinney Palos Verdes 5-10 Fr. 10.9 F Kanika Means Inglewood 5-10 Sr. 8.0 G Princess Murray Morningside 5-10 Sr. 9.5 G Kala Parker Chadwick 5-4 Sr. 15.3 G Laurie Shimizu W. Torrance 5-4 So. 16.9 F Tina Thompson Morningside 6-2 So. 12.0