Game Makes Journey Worthwhile for Valley Trio : Women’s basketball: It hasn’t been easy for players from East Los Angeles to make their mark with the Monarchs.

Sitting around a table in the Valley College women’s gym, the three friends laughed about their tribulations in attending a school far from their East Los Angeles homes.

For Rosa Mendez, Angie Quezada and Luscinda Silva, teammates on the 29-4 Monarch women’s basketball team that will open play in the junior college South regional at home against Santa Barbara City (16-13) tonight at 7, it has been a test of determination and willpower.

Their troubles began two years ago, when simply getting there was half the battle.

“At first, Angie was driving us here,” said Silva, a 5-foot-9 sophomore center. “The first three days we got lost. The first day, Rosa gave us bad directions. The second day, we took the wrong freeway. The third day, Angie’s car ran out of gas right when we got off the freeway. We were late for class all three days.”

Then things really got complicated.

Soon after school started, Quezada’s car gave out and the three former teammates at Roosevelt High were forced to take public buses to Valley. That meant rising about 5 a.m. to get ready and pack lunches for their daylong stay on campus. After practices or games, Coach Doug Michelson or one of his assistants drove them home. In the off-season, the women rode the buses both ways.

“I had to take four buses to come to Valley,” said Mendez, a 5-7 sophomore guard and the team’s leading scorer with a 16.5 average. “The people on those buses are kind of scary sometimes. I don’t know how we did it.”

They managed somehow, at least two of them. Shortly before the season started, Quezada quit school and went to work as a clerical typist at UCLA Medical Center. Michelson said he tried in vain to dissuade her.

“I went through all the conditioning but I just didn’t want to play,” said Quezada, a 5-7 freshman point guard who rejoined the team this season. “I guess I wasn’t as dedicated.”

Such was not the case at Roosevelt. The trio led the Roughriders to the City Section 3-A Division championship in 1991 and Mendez was named the City player of the year in the division. Quezada and Silva, the team’s co-captains, also were All-City selections.

The three grew up in Boyle Heights and have known one another since Mendez played on the Hollenbeck Junior High team against Silva and Quezada, who were on the Belvedere Junior High team.

After their outstanding high school careers, however, none of them knew which college to attend. Mendez was recruited by Division I programs but did not qualify academically. Then Michelson popped into the picture.

“People told me Rosa was quite a player, so I went to take a look,” Michelson said. “I went to some of their games and noticed Angie and Luscinda. At first, a 5-9 center was not that appealing on paper. But I really liked Luscinda’s heart and leadership. I said to (assistant coach) John (Taylor), ‘We are going for the trifecta.’ ”

The decision has paid off.

Last season, Michelson promoted Mendez to the starting lineup during an early-season tournament and she responded by averaging 12.9 points and shooting 46% from the field. Silva averaged 6.2 rebounds and shot 42% from the field in a backup role.

Given that the players were freshmen--and that they had to endure logistic hardships--those numbers were respectable. It helped that Michelson tried to soften the load.

“We made a commitment to them that if they got (to school), we would get them home,” Michelson said.

When Michelson first approached them about coming to Valley, the women weren’t sure what to do. But Mendez said they had heard good things about the program, so they took up Michelson on the offer.

“We didn’t plan to stay together (after high school),” Quezada said. “But we didn’t know anyone out here, so we wanted to stick together.”

The transportation difficulties were resolved this season when Mendez, who moved to Monterey Park after high school, got a car.

Not surprisingly, Mendez’s and Silva’s play improved.

Mendez averaged 15.1 points and finished 12th in scoring in Western State Conference play. She also averages 4.8 assists and has led the team in scoring 21 times, including a personal-high 29 points in a 76-62 victory over Bakersfield on Jan. 20. Quezada averages 4.8 points and 4.2 assists, and Silva 5.8 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Their fine play was part of the reason Valley won the WSC South Division with a 10-0 record. The Monarchs are seeded fifth in the South regional.

Their time together on a basketball team is limited. Mendez is being recruited by several major and small colleges, and two schools--Azusa Pacific and Cal State Chico--have shown interest in Silva. Quezada already is committed to Valley for next season.

But when they go their separate ways, they can always reminisce about their days of riding the bus to Valley.

“We love basketball so much, we were willing to put up with it,” Mendez said.