The Last Champion

It seems like such a long time ago to Erin Larsen, but she is only nine months removed from the highlight of her basketball career.

Not that Larsen fancies herself a prospect for the WNBA or even a college basketball scholarship, but Larsen took part in--and is the only remaining starter from--Laguna Hills’ storybook season of a year ago. She is no longer a starting forward but a point guard on this season’s team that, despite its 4-9 record, is the defending State Division II champion.

Larsen--and everyone else--knew this season would be a struggle.

The Hawks lost their four senior starters, 6-foot-6 Tayyiba Haneef, who’s now at Long Beach State, guard Tamara Inoue (California), forward Whitney Houser (USC) and guard Mary Tims.

All that remains is Larsen, the coaching staff and the memories.

“I don’t think winning the state title even set in because everything was moving so fast,” Larsen said. “I went from basketball on that Friday night and had softball the next Monday.

“Most of us played different sports, so we didn’t get a chance to enjoy it as a team. It was weird. Just to think--state champions.”

Larsen, who is 5 feet 9, is doing her part to defend the title. She is playing point guard on offense, forward on defense, averaging 6.8 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 9.5 rebounds. The Hawks start two sophomores, Anne Bubriski and Shannon Owens, and seniors Denica Anderson and Maryam Mansouri, who were on last year’s team but rarely played a meaningful minute.

Larsen said she doesn’t make any comparisons between the past and present teams. “There are only three returning players,” she said, “so it isn’t fair to compare.”

That team (31-3) won its final 23 games. This team lost its first six.

“It’s tough for her; she’s the leftover one,” said Coach Lynn Taylor, whose team--despite its inexperience--could still win the Pacific Coast League title. “Erin has been the complementary player her entire life. She’s been the one who has given up her game the most to integrate with the other kids so they could play their game; now she has to change and become the player. I think that has been a difficult adjustment.

“The other thing is she went from a program that lost 14 games the last three years--six the last two years--and we were already 3-8 starting league. I think that plays on her mind.”

Unlike other girls’ basketball players in Orange County this season, Larsen never considered transferring to another school.

“Loyalty, I guess,” she said. “I wouldn’t transfer for sports. I don’t think it should be allowed. It’s a team game. You usually see the good players transferring--that’s what I see--and they’re going for the winning program, the team with tradition or the team that’s going to be good that year.”

By sticking it out, Larsen--who carries a 4.0 grade-point average and hopes to become an elementary school teacher and high school coach--says she has learned just as much this year as last.

“It’s probably just as valuable as last season, from the standpoint of learning things,” she said. “I’ve had to learn how to play a whole other position, how to understand people, their point of view, and situations both on and off the court.

It is a far distance from last season, when the Hawks won the Southern California final at the Pond with a 40-29 victory over Brea Olinda, which was ranked No. 1 in the state.

“I can remember everything--how excited we were,” Larsen said. “I remember all of us meeting at center court, and all of us falling to the ground. And it was Tamara’s 18th birthday and she started crying and stuff.”

They followed with a 41-40 victory over Newark Memorial to win the state title and be named the state’s top-ranked team. Larsen’s 12-footer from the baseline with 2 minutes 49 seconds left ended a 15-4 run by Memorial and gave Laguna Hills a 37-33 lead. It was one of only three Hawk baskets in the game that weren’t made by Haneef, Houser or Inoue.

Larsen will watch two of her ex-teammates play Sunday, when Cal (5-8, 1-2 in the Pacific 10) plays at USC (6-7, 1-3). Because of an injury to a teammate, Inoue is a probable starter. She is averaging 3.5 points and 5.0 in conference. Houser is averaging 22 minutes, 8.3 points and is shooting 50.5% on the season, 59.1% in conference.

Haneef is not playing basketball, but volleyball (she was a redshirt freshman) and track, where she aspires to make the Olympic team in the high jump.

Taylor said Tims is no longer attending Saddleback College.

With those four gone, Larsen has had to learn to lead.

“I’m a pretty quiet person,” she said, “so I’ve had to learn how to speak to my teammates and communicate.”

Larsen has at least one fan away from Laguna Hills in Pete Belanto, Capistrano Valley’s coach, who told Taylor he admired Larsen’s stoic qualities.

“The one thing that’s so nice about her, she’s used to playing with Division I college players and used to winning,” Belanto said. “And if she made a pass that one of her teammates miss, it would be really easy for her to roll her eyes or mope or sulk or pout or scream at somebody. But she just plays harder to make up for it. That’s extremely impressive.”