TRYING TO GET EVEN : Lady Toros Shooting for a .500 Season

The women’s basketball program at Cal State Dominguez Hills was at such a low ebb that when Coach Van Girard guided the Lady Toros to a 3-9 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. record last season, he was the unanimous choice as the league’s coach of the year.

Even Girard, formerly a successful coach at Lynwood High, was taken aback by the accolade. The Lady Toros averaged 22 turnovers a game last season and finished last in the seven-team conference.

“There were a lot of other (coaches) last year who I thought had done tremendous things . . . more than I,” he said.

Now, entering his third season, Girard is predicting that a .500 record is not out of the question.

“Our goal is to make it to the conference tournament,” he said. “I feel this is a realistic one this year.”

The three conference victories last season were part of an 11-15 record, the best the Lady Toros have had since the 1984-85 season. Still, making this program more competitive is no easy task. Dominguez Hills, which opens its season Nov. 16 by playing host to The Masters College, has never finished above .500 since joining the CCAA a decade ago. Its best finishes were a pair of 6-6 seasons in 1984 and ’85. Since then Lady Toros have gone 16-47 in CCAA play. Their overall record since 1985 is 41-89.

Winning in the CCAA isn’t that easy, anyway. Not with perennial Division II power Cal Poly Pomona seemingly a shoe-in for the conference title every season. Dominguez Hills is 0-19 against Pomona.

So why all the optimism from Girard, who has eight freshmen or sophomores on the 11-player roster.

“This team is composed more of my kind of players,” Girard said. “More like the style I have had in the past. It is more reflective of athletic ability and skill over what we have had in previous years.”

At Lynwood Girard built a dynasty with a fast-break offense and pressure defense. In 10 seasons he was 230-48. His teams won seven San Gabriel Valley League titles, appeared in three Southern Section 4-A Division championship games--winning one--and made 10 consecutive appearances in postseason play.

Girard was named the top girls coach in the state in 1986.

But the fate of the 1990-91 Lady Toros depends on how fast a starting lineup that includes only one senior can progress.

“Our practices have been going real well,” Girard said. “We have had tremendous improvement over our first two years.”

Devon Akita, a 5-foot-7 guard, is the lone senior. As a sophomore, she averaged 10 points and three assists a game and earned All-CCAA honorable mention. But last season her numbers decreased, perhaps because Girard brought in several players who quickly contributed. Akita averaged only 7.7 points and 2.2 assists.

One of the new players last season was 5-5 guard Allison Krause. She started 24 games and averaged five assists.

Girard said Krause will probably be the first person off the bench. She’ll give way to junior LaRonda Poydras and freshman Karee Bonde.

A transfer from Trade Tech who prepped at Morningside High, the 5-5 Poydras is, according to Girard, “one of the best athletes we have. She gives tremendous leadership on the floor and can do it all.”

Poydras was The Times’ South Bay Player of the Year in 1984 and was a four-time All-Ocean League selection.

Bonde, a 5-8 graduate of Palmdale High, is “a sleeper that everyone missed (when it was recruiting time),” Girard said. She was a second team Southern Section choice last season after averaging 15.8 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Also returning is 6-foot sophomore center Yvonne Vanlandingham, a second team All-CCAA choice. She led the team in scoring (10.5) and was second in rebounding (6.9).

Other front line players expected to start are junior forward Cheri Bullet, a 6-foot transfer from El Camino College, and sophomore Denise Slater, who started 22 games last season. Bullet, the most valuable player in the South Coast Conference, averaged 18 points and 15 rebounds and helped the Lady Warriors to their first playoff appearance since 1975. The 5-foot-8 Slater is expected to move from the No. 2 spot to No. 3, according to Girard.

Letoyia Gray, a 5-9 sophomore, will also see action on the front line, Girard said. She played in 22 games last season.

Nicole Blue, a 6-foot freshman forward/center from Inglewood “has good hands and will be a top rebounder,” Girard said.

Guards Denisha Jordan, a 5-6 freshman from Reseda High and Leigh Warmke, a 5-3 freshman from Long Beach Wilson, complete the roster. Jordan was a second team All-City Section choice. Warmke was voted the Lady Bruins’ most inspirational player last season.

Despite his prediction for this year, Girard couldn’t help but look ahead to 1991-92. He pointed out that earlier this year he signed four of the 10 players he set out to sign to letters of intent.

“The upcoming recruiting season will be crucial,” he said. “If we can have a recruiting year that is equal to or better than this year, then we will definitely be a factor in the future.”