PLAYOFF PROFILES : Simi Valley’s Steal Curtain

At the times she is not her own worst enemy, Jamie Griffin is her teammates’ best friend.

The Simi Valley High point guard is charging toward the school’s career assist record, making the deft passes that have helped Tawnee Cooper rank among state scoring leaders and the Pioneers rack up a school-record 2,002 points this season.

But Griffin sometimes charges too hard, getting herself into foul trouble and forcing Coach Dave Murphy to cool her heels on the bench. The Pioneers (25-2) have 17 victories in a row and it is no coincidence that Griffin nearly fouled out of both losses.

“I can help the team as much as possible by staying out of foul trouble and staying on the court,” said Griffin, who believes she has committed at least one foul in every game she has ever played.

The fouls are primarily a product of an aggressive style that has enabled the 5-foot-7 senior to set a school record for steals.

In three varsity seasons, Griffin has 358 steals and 276 assists. Keira Irwin owns the school assist record with 310 from 1986-89.

This season, Griffin has 121 steals and 117 assists while committing only 58 turnovers.

“Jamie is our best defender and she makes our offense go,” Murphy said. “She is a great athlete who is also a scorer.”

Griffin is averaging 15.9 points, second on the team to Cooper’s 26.7 average.

So far, however, Griffin’s well-rounded skills have not attracted much attention from Division I colleges. She wants to continue playing basketball and volleyball, another sport in which she excels.

For now, her focus is on extending Simi Valley’s basketball season. The Pioneers play Long Beach Poly (12-11), defending Division I-AA champion, tonight.

“I like to steal, I like to lead,” she said. “I keep pushing until they call a foul. But I’ve learned not to gamble quite so much.”