Practice Makes Perfect for Broncos’ Houston : Basketball: Although she was a standout player in high school, the junior didn’t have good practice habits until she enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona.

No one ever doubted that Missa Houston had all of the skills necessary to become a successful college basketball player.

Houston, who attended Washington High, was a City Section player of the year in 1990. She could dribble, shoot, pass, rebound and run the court with the best guards in the Southland.

Houston definitely could play. The problem was, she did not know how to practice.

That gaping hole in her game went undetected, or tolerated, until she arrived at Cal Poly Pomona and came under the direction of Coach Darlene May.

“I had always gotten by because I could play,” said Houston, a junior. “But when it came to practice, well, I didn’t really know what that meant.

“It took me about a year and a half before I finally understood. Now, I try to learn something new every day.”

Houston’s improved practice routine has resulted in better play during games. Although she is only the fourth-leading scorer for the Broncos, averaging 10.5 points a game, she is a major reason why Pomona entered the week with a 9-1 record and ranked 17th in Division II.

Houston arrived at Pomona after playing on four successful teams at Washington. Several of her high school teammates eventually went on to Division I schools.

“None of the big Division I schools were recruiting me, so I thought I had a better chance of winning a national championship with (Division II) Pomona,” Houston said. “Coach May seemed to care about more than just athletics. She stressed academics too.”

Houston, however, discovered that she had a lot to learn once she began practicing with the Broncos. Usually, May is generous with freshmen when it comes to playing time. But Houston’s practice habits resulted in sparse minutes during the 1990-91 season, when Pomona finished fifth in the nation with a 22-9 record.

“Every day, she (May) sat me down and told me I didn’t know how to practice and wasn’t working hard,” Houston said. “I thought, ‘Gosh, I don’t know how to practice. What does that mean?’ She stresses perfection so it was really hard.”

Last season, Pomona’s roster essentially consisted of eight players. Houston’s minutes increased, and she improved her scoring average from 1.2 points a game to 6.2. Pomona won its 11th consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title, but lost to UC Davis in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

“We didn’t have a lot of players last year, so I knew I was going to play,” Houston said. “This year, Coach May brought in a lot of talented players. I didn’t want to be goofing off when everyone else was working hard.”

Houston showed up for the start of practice with a new work ethic. She has been driving to the basket aggressively and working hard on defense.

“Missa has always had a great attitude,” May said. “She doesn’t complain and she does what she is told. Her problem was just the amount of energy she put into things during practice.

“She began to understand what we expected near the end of last season. This year, she has been outstanding from the start.”

Said Houston: “I see the difference in my performance. I look at some of the freshmen now and say, ‘Yeah, that’s how I used to be.’ ”

Pomona avenged its playoff loss to Davis with a 68-51 victory over the Aggies last weekend. Junior center Mildred Conston is averaging 21 points a game for Pomona and remains the focal point of the Broncos’ offense. Jennifer Harney, who averages 15.5 points, and LeeAnna Hiestand, who averages 10.3, have given Pomona two threats from the perimeter.

Houston takes care of everything in between.

“I’m understanding basketball better,” she said. “Knowing who to get the ball to, and when. Watching the other players who were ahead of me the last few years enabled me to pick up some leadership abilities.

“This team is really good. We’re expecting to go much further than we did last season. I know that with a lot of work, we can do it.”