Moore, Jamison led Sierra past Chabot, into Elite Eight
In just one season with the Sierra College women's basketball team, sophomore guard Bri Moore has taken the Wolverines by storm. Flashy and fun to watch, Moore has stuffed the stat sheet since she arrived in Rocklin just days before the start of the season.
And if not for Sierra sophomore Daizy Wilson, Moore may never have found her way to Goto/Goldenberg Gym.
"Daizy and I are really close," said Moore, following Sierra's Elite Eight-clinching 99-64 win over Chabot on Saturday night. "I didn't know anything about Sierra, but I came out here, liked it a lot, and obviously it's worked out great."
Currently second in the state in scoring (24.4) and assists (7.7) and first in steals (6.7), Moore has anchored a 30-1 Wolverines team that is currently ranked No. 1 in Northern California and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the state.
After starring at St. Mary's of Stockton High School, Moore spent a year in Arizona. When that didn't work out, she returned to Northern California unsure of where she would play.
What happened next was a coach's dream.
"She did just kind of come out of nowhere," said Murrish. "It's been pretty amazing. It's no secret that she does some incredible things for us. She has fun when she plays and that's contagious. I've never had a player that brings that much enthusiasm and passion to the game."
While Moore's numbers are glaring, seeing her teammates fill up the box score is what is most rewarding for her.
"My main goal every game is getting my teammates going," said Moore. "Now we just have to keep doing what we've been doing and get ready for whatever comes next down south
After overwhelming the Gladiators, Sierra is now headed to Ventura College to take on Irvine Valley (26-4) on Thursday (5 pm) in the California Community College Athletic Association Championships.
Moore led Sierra with 30 points, 12 steals, seven rebounds and five assists in the win, but she was far from the lone standout. Shanel Jamison came off the bench to score 27 points, Taylor Avila celebrated her 21st birthday with 13 and Aycee Willis added 11. Leah Richardson grabbed nine rebounds.
In her 12 seasons as head coach, Murrish has never missed the postseason, leading the Wolverines to a state-runner up finish in 2006-07 in her first season. She has led Sierra to the Elite Eight four times and this season's edition is a strong contender to compete for the second women's basketball state championship in school history.
"These kids play incredible hard and they play for each other," said Murrish. "They do all the things that don't show up on stat sheet. Our chemistry is great and they're out there having fun."
NOTES: Ranked 7th in the Southern California Regional, Irvine Valley knocked off No. 2 ranked Mt. San Antonio 76-71 on Saturday. The win snapped the Mounties state-record streak of 11 consecutive state tournament appearances.
Orange Empire Conference MVP Kasey Smit leads the Lasers. A 6-foot sophomore, Smit had 28 points and 13 rebounds against Mt. San Antonio. On the season she averages 19.2 points and 13 rebounds. Guards Lexi Vail (10 points per game) and Elizabeth Garcia (10ppg) also scored in double figures for Irvine Valley.
Story by: Scott Johnston. Photo by: Dave Lawicka