Some basketball players go their entire lives...

Some basketball players go their entire lives without making a three-point shot. In the case of Karee Bonde, one might say life exists beyond the three-point arc.

Bonde has that rare ability to strike from long range--with startling regularity. And for that, Cal State Dominguez Hills pays for her food, housing, tuition and books.

Bonde makes the three.

Bonde attends college for free.

It’s a fair enough trade. Bonde, a 5-foot-8 junior from Palmdale High, has set Dominguez Hills and California Collegiate Athletic Assn. records for three-point shooting, including most in a season (66 in 1991-92), in a game (six) and in a career (157). This season, she ranks seventh in the NCAA in three-point shooting percentage (43%; 60 for 139).

A recent game against Chapman was typical for Bonde. She had 15 points, all on three-pointers.

What’s her secret?

“I don’t really have a secret--I just practice shooting all the time,” she said. “It’s natural as long as I keep practicing.”

Her three-point proficiency started at Palmdale after Coach George Corisis noticed Bonde was making most of her shots just in front of the three-point line and suggested she move back. Since then, Bonde has routinely taken 200 three-point shots after each practice.

What does she think about being the greatest bomber in CCAA history?

Said Bonde: “I don’t know what to think. . . . I think it’s neat.”

More Bonde: Bonde’s picture appears on the cover of two 1992-93 media guides, those of Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona, the latter on which she’s guarding Bronco Sylvia Castaneda (Alemany).

Bonde had to be persuaded by her father, Archie Bonde, to play a game against CS San Bernardino on Feb. 18, as she grieved the death of her grandfather, Russell Bonde. Russell, who never missed one of Bonde’s home games, would have insisted on it, her father told her. She had 21 points (four three-pointers), five assists and four steals in an 80-77 overtime victory.

Doug and Dana: Pepperdine’s Dana Jones (North Hollywood) has emerged as the most dominant player in the West Coast Conference. He ranks No. 1 in rebounds (9.5 per game) and No. 2 in scoring (16.4 ppg). For that he might thank an unemployed former teammate: Doug Christie.

Christie, an unsigned first-round draft choice of the Seattle SuperSonics who was traded to the Lakers on Monday, has yet to play an NBA game. Until this week, Christie had no job and no contract--but he had been working out all winter. With Jones.

“The first time I guarded him I noticed he had gotten a lot tougher,” said Jones, who worked one on one with Christie in practice. “Right then, I thought I need to be stronger and tougher. (Christie is) just a player , and that’s where I think we’re similar. We both want to get the job done.”

Jones, a 6-6 junior forward, leads the WCC in field-goal percentage (63.4%) and is second with 27 blocked shots.

Practicing against Christie “gives me more confidence in games,” Jones said. “I know I’m not going up against anybody as tough as Doug Christie.”

Add Jones: Christie has never discussed his holdout with Jones, who is a likely NBA pick in 1994.

“I never ask him what’s going on,” Jones said. “I think that’s personal. But every time he comes to the gym he seems up and happy. I’m sure he wishes he was playing, and not just being the subject of a lot of talk.”

Checking the fax: Michael Spears (Hueneme), Lester Smith (Rio Mesa) and Justin Lord (Glendale) are among the top four scorers at Westmont with averages of 15.1, 10.8 and 10.5 points. More than half of Smith’s points have come on three-point shots. . . .

Sara Wilson (Hart) has led Oregon scorers in four games with totals of 18, 25, 18 and 20. All were losses. . . . Carol Gruhlke (Hart) finished the season as Point Loma Nazarene’s fourth-leading rebounder, but she averaged 11.5 rebounds for every 40 minutes she played--finishing with 137. . . .

Azusa Pacific, 8-18 last season, opened the week 16-8, thanks partly to Shannon Solway (Simi Valley), Shawnee Danels (Canyon), Dee Dee Hinson (Hart) and Keira Irwin (Simi Valley). Solway leads the Cougars in scoring (14.2 ppg.) and Danels is No. 1 in assists (86) and steals (39). All transferred from College of the Canyons. . . .

Darren Shearer (Buena) averages 11 points and six rebounds at UC Santa Cruz. . . . Lester Neal (Ventura College), who helped key Arizona State’s upset of Memphis State on Sunday, averages 10.7 points and 8.6 rebounds. . . . Darrin Jackson (Antelope Valley College) had a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds in his debut as a New Mexico State starter Dec. 30. . . . Sam Crawford (Moorpark College) is the Aggies’ all-time leader in assists and seventh in Big West history with 486. . . .

Jeff Oliver (Buena) of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo appears in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. top 10 for scoring, free-throw percentage, assists, steals and three-point baskets. Oliver, a guard, leads the CCAA with 56 three-point baskets. Chris Hantgin (Ventura High) of UC Riverside ranks in assists, steals, blocked shots and free-throw percentage. He has made 47 of 54 (87%) free throws to rank second in the conference.