Great Expectations : Toro Women’s Team Will Try to Build on 1991-92 Season

After guiding the Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team to postseason play last season for the first time in more than a decade, fifth-year Coach Van Girard says that means only one thing for the 1992-93 Toros.

“Expectations are for us to do better this year,” Girard said. “We have so many players back from that team and we have some good youngsters that should make it happen.”

Despite the expectations, Girard does not feel pressure to exceed last season’s results.

“I felt more pressure last year because I felt like I had to show something,” he said. “This year is to maintain. We’re right on schedule in terms of growth in the program from year to year, but by no means can we say we’ve arrived.”

Dominguez Hills must replace two starters--center Cheri Bullet, the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. co-player of the year, and point guard LaRonda Poydras, who is now a grad assistant--from last season’s team that finished second in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. and lost in the final of the conference tournament.

Although the 6-foot Bullet’s presence will be missed, Girard believes he has enough newcomers to make up for the loss even though two 6-foot-1 recruits--one from Palmdale and another from Northern California--reneged at the last minute.

“We had an A-plus recruiting year when they signed, but it became A-minus when they pulled out,” Girard said. “You can still expect us to be in the conference tournament and expect us to finish with a .700 season.”

Girard will shift three-time All-CCAA forward Dionne Vanlandingham (6-foot) to center and start seniors Denise Slater (5-8) and Erika Manning (5-10) at forward.

“We’re good,” Slater said. “Last year we had more experience, but this year we’re young with a lot of talent. We’re growing as a team and I have confidence that we can (reach postseason play) with a lot of hard work.”

Slater was an All-CCAA selection last season (9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds a game) and Manning was the team’s third-leading rebounder. Newcomers Monica Wood, Shayla Warren and Stephanie Cude will also see playing time at forward.

Wood is a 6-foot transfer from El Camino College and Warren is a 5-9 transfer from Long Beach City College.

Cude, a 6-1 freshman, was a two-time All-Valle Vista League selection at South Hills High in West Covina. As a senior, she led the Huskies to the Southern Section Division III-A final, averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5.5 blocks.

“She’s a great post player,” Girard said. “She’s proven that she could score. She gives us what we lose in Cheri; someone we can give the ball to.”

But Girard says the team lacks height, which could be troublesome in the seven-member CCAA.

“We’re outsized in the post, but then again we always have been,” he said. “We’re real athletic inside though, and that’s going to help us.”

Katina Duncans, a redshirt freshman from Rialto Eisenhower High, will start at point guard and junior Karee Bonde is expected to be the off-guard. Duncans was the Citrus Belt League player of the year after averaging 10 points and eight assists as a senior at Rialto in 1990-91.

Bonde, the team’s best three-point shooter, was an All-CCAA selection last season after averaging 10.6 points a game.

“Defensively, we’re going to be very solid,” Girard said. “We won’t have a full-court press, but we do have a smaller and quicker unit. We’ll have a motion offense that creates shots, but we can push the ball too.”

The Toros’ non-conference schedule includes games at Cal State Hayward and UC Davis. Dominguez Hills will open CCAA play at Chapman College on Jan. 14.

League powerhouse Pomona, ranked 17th nationally in NCAA Division II, is favored to win the conference title.

“Pomona is head and shoulders above everyone else,” Girard said. “I’d say we’re one of the top four teams in the conference.”

If the Toros can do that, they will qualify for another postseason tournament berth.