A Banner Season for Peninsula Girls, Morningside Boys : Girls’ team: Panthers, who finished 33-0 and won mythical national championship, place their starting unit on all-star squad.

What does it take to win a national championship?

After coaching the Peninsula High girls’ basketball team to a 33-0 record and No. 1 ranking according to USA Today, Wendell Yoshida explained how the Lady Panthers were able to achieve perfection.

“I think one of the special things about this team was that they were always so unselfish,” he said. “I don’t think we had the greatest athletic ability. We had great kids who gave a part of themselves for the team.”

Statistically, any one of Peninsula’s starters could have compiled better numbers on other teams. Forward Monique Morehouse, a senior bound for Auburn, saw her scoring average drop by four points from last season. Point guard Kristen Mulligan, another Auburn recruit who averaged 25 points a game as a sophomore at Santa Margarita High in Orange County, saw her average drop for the second consecutive season, to 10.8 points.

Such sacrifice is what made the Lady Panthers unique, Yoshida said.

“I can’t remember ever having a problem with keeping someone happy,” he said. “They just wanted to win as a team. Everybody was working toward one goal, and it wasn’t themselves.”

The team’s reward was an unbeaten record, a mythical national championship and a second consecutive state title for the same starting five that led Palos Verdes to the State Division III title last season. Under Yoshida, this group compiled a two-year record of 65-2 and capped a 43-game winning streak with a 63-44 victory over Monta Vista of Cupertino in the State Division I final in Sacramento on March 21.

For their efforts, Peninsula’s starting five have been named to The Times South Bay All-Star team, and Mulligan and Yoshida have been selected player and coach of the year. It is the first time five players from one team have been selected South Bay all-stars.

Players named to the all-star first team, along with their parents and coaches, will be guests of The Times at an awards breakfast at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Guest Quarters Hotel in Santa Monica.

Joining Mulligan on the 10-player squad are teammates Morehouse, Jeffra Gausepohl, Raquel Alotis and Mimi McKinney, Carson forward Bernice Alafua, Banning center Michelle Campbell, Torrance forward Tiffany Fujimoto, Bishop Montgomery guard Mirlen Martinez and Morningside center Tina Thompson.

Although Mulligan had the lowest scoring output of her high school career, she was recognized as “the glue” that held Peninsula together, according to Yoshida.

“She was our heart and soul,” he said. “I’ve never had a tougher player than Kristen.”

The 5-foot-7 senior handled the jobs that are not always recognizable in the box score. As point guard, her duties included bringing the ball up court, often against pressure. Lynwood Coach Maurice Roberson said Mulligan’s ball handling and court sense were the difference in both of his team’s losses to Peninsula, in the finals of the Southern Section Division I-AA and Southern California regional playoffs.

“The key to the whole thing is Kristy,” Roberson said of Mulligan, who averaged a team-leading five assists. “She will penetrate on you, she knows when to (pass) and she’s a floor leader. . . . She makes things happen.”

Defensively, Mulligan spearheaded Peninsula’s aggressive full-court press that turned many games into routs by forcing opponents into turnovers. She led the Lady Panthers in steals, averaging 3.1.

And, at times, Mulligan showed the scoring skills that she frequently displayed at Santa Margarita. She led Peninsula with 19 points in a 60-50 victory over Lynwood in the regional final, including a critical three-point shot late in the game. She made 20 of 51 three-point shots during the season.

Among the honors Mulligan received during the season were awards for most valuable player at the prestigious Tournament of Champions at Santa Barbara and New York City. She was also named Gatorade state player of the year.

For Yoshida, the 1991-92 season represented the pinnacle of a coaching career that began in humble fashion. He was a 21-year-old student at Cal State Dominguez Hills when he took over the Palos Verdes program in 1980-81.

For the first six seasons, Palos Verdes was 47-85 and failed to reach the Southern Section playoffs. Yoshida remembers the difficulty he had recruiting girls to play basketball in those days.

“It was pretty dismal at first,” he recalled. “Back then, basketball was something (girls) played in between tennis matches. I never had tryouts. I had to take what came. Instead of tryouts, it was more like sign-ups. I’d go into (physical education) classes and see what kind of athletic ability there was. I laugh at it now, but that’s the way it was.”

But once his teams started winning, it started a snowball effect.

In the past six seasons, Yoshida’s teams were 167-26 overall, 62-2 in league play and 33-5 in postseason play. The turning point coincided with the development of Heather and Heidi Burge, who as juniors led Palos Verdes to its first appearance in a state final in 1988. The 6-5 twins now are standouts for Virginia, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team that will compete in the NCAA women’s Final Four this weekend at the Sports Arena.

“If you do this long enough, eventually something is going to happen,” Yoshida said of his coaching success. “You go through a trial period to see what is going to work. There’s no secret other than hard work and commitment.

“Fortunately, we have the girls now who want to do that. When I started out, it certainly wasn’t like that. The girls used to act like summer league cut into their social life. Now they do it on their own.”

Yoshida, 33, says he has no immediate plans to coach on the college level. He was offered a full-time assistant position at UC Irvine last year, but he turned it down. He works as a fitness center director at a Torrance business, coaching Peninsula on a part-time basis.

“I enjoy coaching on this level, but I would have to consider any college offers,” he said. “I don’t have any plans.”

As for the past season, Yoshida said it represents the “end of an era.” Four of Peninsula’s starters are seniors who have scholarships to Division I colleges.

“It’s time to start all over,” he said.

A closer look at the all-stars:

Bernice Alafua (Carson)--A three-time Times all-star, Alafua averaged a South Bay-best 23.7 points and ranked among the area’s leaders in rebounds, averaging 12 a game. She led the Colts to a second-place finish behind Banning in the Pacific League and to the City Section 4-A Division semifinals.

Raquel Alotis (Peninsula)--Despite a late-season bout with mononucleosis, Alotis led the State Division I champions in three-point shots, making 42 of 112 attempts (38%). The shooting guard averaged 10.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.9 steals. She will attend UC Santa Barbara on scholarship in the fall.

Michelle Campbell (Banning)--Named co-most valuable player in the Pacific League, Campbell was the main force behind the Pilots’ drive to the league championship and to the City 4-A semifinals. The 6-4 center averaged 15.4 points and 12 rebounds, both team highs. She is being recruited by USC.

Tiffany Fujimoto (Torrance)--A repeat all-star selection, Fujimoto was honored as most valuable player of the Pioneer League for her all-around abilities. She averaged 13.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists, leading the Tartars to the Southern Section Division II-AA quarterfinals.

Jeffra Gausepohl (Peninsula)--The 6-5 center was the leading scorer for Peninsula, averaging 15.5 points on a balanced team. She was named most valuable player of the Bay League and MVP of the Capital City Shootout in Sacramento. She will attend Virginia on scholarship in the fall.

Mirlen Martinez (Bishop Montgomery)--In two seasons as starting point guard, Martinez helped the Knights to two firsts: appearances in a Southern Section final last season and the State Division II final this season. She averaged 12.6 points and led Bishop Montgomery in assists at 4.9.

Mimi McKinney (Peninsula)--Perhaps the most talented underclass player in Southern California, McKinney scored a game-high 27 points in the Lady Panthers’ 63-44 victory over Monta Vista in the state final. The 5-10 sophomore averaged 14 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 steals.

Monique Morehouse (Peninsula)--Although her offensive output dropped this season to 7.6 points a game, Morehouse remained a steady force near the basket for Peninsula. The 6-3 forward averaged a team-leading eight rebounds and anchored the defense with her aggressive play inside.

Kristen Mulligan (Peninsula)--The Times South Bay Player of the Year.

Tina Thompson (Morningside)--The area leader in total points (686), Thompson helped the Lady Monarchs recover from a shaky start and reach the final of the Southern Section Division III-AA playoffs. The 6-2 junior center averaged 23.7 points and 13.7 rebounds and was named Ocean League most valuable player.