Her Team, Her Time

The Southern California College women’s basketball team had just won its first Golden State Athletic Conference tournament and the celebration at SCC was just beginning.

The raucous crowd of 1,013 at SCC’s claustrophobic home court, The Pit, cheered the championship trophy presentation after the victory in the tournament final. And it saved the loudest cheer for last.

With a beaming smile, SCC senior Elaine Whittemore climbed the ladder to cut the final nylon threads holding the net on the rim. When she thrust her fist into the air, clutching the ceremonial victory net, the crowd went crazy.

Upon first glance, it’s easy to see why SCC basketball fans love her. Whittemore, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, helped a team that finished 10-20 only two seasons ago reach its first NAIA national championships.

SCC (29-5), ranked 25th in the nation, begins the NAIA tournament against 12th-ranked Rockhurst (22-5) of Kansas City, Mo., Thursday in Jackson, Tenn.

Whittemore, a 6-foot center from Silverton, Ore., was named conference player of the year this season, leading SCC to its first GSAC title by averaging a conference-best 16.2 points.

Whittemore also led the conference in field-goal percentage (61%) and was third in rebounding (8.4). And she also became SCC’s all-time career scoring leader--Whittemore has 1,225 points, surpassing Kristen Bevis’ record of 1,208 set in 1992.

But what Whittemore does on the court is only part of the story.

“You can’t put into words what Elaine Whittemore means to us,” SCC Coach Russ Davis said. “She does absolutely everything.

“Besides the stuff you see in the games, she does all the little things. She’ll coordinate the fund-raisers, things for the recruits, she takes time to write little thank-you notes . . . she’s everybody’s team mother. I could go on and on.

“She’s never had a bad day at practice, and consider that she had to sit most of her freshman season because of a knee injury. It must have killed her, but she never complained about her knee.”

Teammate Amber Chaney played alongside Whittemore and watched her persevere.

“She came in with that blown-out knee, but she never quit,” Chaney said. “She always plays hard, every game, every practice. She’s invaluable to this team.

“And in four years, I never saw her yell at a teammate. She’s so supportive.”

Whittemore’s compassion and humility belie her competitiveness on the court. She scored 21 points in SCC’s 80-69 victory over Concordia in the conference final. She also delivered defensively, making seven steals in the biggest game of the season.

Pretty good for someone who never thought of herself as a star player.

“I just kept playing basketball so I could get an education,” said Whittemore, who will graduate with a psychology degree. “My sophomore year was pretty tough here, but to think that in only two years, we won a championship. . . .

“Coach Davis just put everything into this program. And after the preseason this year, everyone started working together better and it became a snowball effect.

“This season has been a total blessing from God.”

SCC has won 10 in a row heading into the NAIA tournament, and 23 of its last 24. But even if the Vanguards can’t pull off a first-round upset, Davis knows Whittemore has already helped SCC produce a successful season.

“There’s no doubt she’s a great player,” Davis said. “But I’m happier knowing that I have a friend for life in Elaine. You want friends like Elaine Whittemore. You need more people like her.

“And this is her team.”