By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
"Sophomore Night" was a smashing success for the Napa Valley College women's basketball team.
In their final home game of the 2023-24 regular season, the Storm clinched both third place in the Bay Valley Conference and a playoff spot on Tuesday, coming from behind in a 59-47 win over College of Marin-Kentfield.
Brooklyn Giles, one of four sophomores honored in pregame ceremonies, scored 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and had 23 rebounds, leading the Storm in a key conference game, a matchup of teams tied for third place.
Giles said it was a very emotional game – the fact that it was the final home game for the team's sophomore class and being recognized by head coach Paul DeBolt prior to the game, with players joined by their families.
"I created bonds with these girls," said Giles, who also had five assists and eight blocked shots. "This is our last home game together. But at the end of the day, we know we've still got to come out and take care of business. So, we were able to pull through and get the win tonight.
"It's a huge win, especially thinking about where we came from in the beginning of the season, questioning if we're going to have a team to play this season. It means a lot, that we're in the same spot that we were last year, fighting to win playoff games."
Napa Valley (15-12 overall, 9-4 Bay Valley) ends the conference season on Thursday, Feb. 22 as it travels to Yuba College-Marysville to face the 49ers at 5:30 p.m.
The Storm will be making its second straight appearance in the California Community College Athletic Association Northern California Regional playoffs. A seeding meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 25. The tournament starts on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The field will consist of 24 teams.
"It is really satisfying for us to get to the playoffs two years in a row. And just to be able to sustain through a season like this one, where it's been a struggle, numbers-wise," said DeBolt. "We've had some tough breaks, recruiting and injuries.
"It's really a satisfying win for the program. It's just a really gratifying win for all of us."
With just seven players, Napa Valley has been shorthanded all season. At one point in the season, the Storm was 2-4, having lost four straight. At another point, they were 4-9, with three straight losses.
DeBolt said advancing to the playoffs is a miracle.
"I don't think I've worked harder at just fielding a team and then getting the team together. We have a great coaching staff," said DeBolt. "Personally, I don't think I've worked harder than I worked this year. It's been an absolute labor of love to stick with this group, and they stuck with it too, and to see them enjoy the success like they did tonight, getting their ninth conference win, it's really gratifying. We're very proud of the support that Napa Valley College gives these young women and the coaches here. It's really outstanding."
Giles, Bella Merritt, Daralonie Sykes and Aaliyah Gaitan were recognized on "Sophomore Night," as they were joined by their families. The players were introduced and were given flowers and gifts.
Kamilah Tiongco scored 13 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and had seven rebounds and four assists. She helped to trigger NVC's 14-0 run to start the fourth quarter, connecting on two 3-pointers, as the Storm took a 51-36 lead.
"This game, I feel like I really helped the team. We all trusted each other and they trusted me with shooting the ball. So, that really helped me get my confidence up and to keep shooting," said Tiongco. "I think for me, it was that they kept trusting me with the ball. So, it really helped me become confident."
The key to the fourth-quarter surge was the Storm's defense, said Tiongco.
"We all really were just aggressive on defense, we all hustled for the ball and really wanted to get down in transition for easy layups and easy buckets," she said.
Napa Valley is 7-3 over its last 10 games. The Storm is averaging 56.3 points per game on 34.7 percent shooting from the field, 23.4 percent from 3-point distance, and 63.0 percent from the free-throw line. The Storm is also averaging 41.7 rebounds and 13.6 assists per game.
NVC was behind 11-9 in the first quarter. Two free throws by Giles late in the second quarter gave the Storm a 22-21 halftime lead. NVC was also ahead 37-36 after the third quarter.
The turning point was the Storm's run to start the fourth quarter. Giles accounted for eight points in that run.
"We picked it up. Keep pushing, no matter what," said Sykes. "We just said we've got to fight through it and keep playing. Even though we have seven players, we still have to play hard, no matter what."
Sykes scored 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting and had five rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Alicia Johnson scored four points and had four rebounds.
Jordyn Allen had four rebounds. Merritt had three rebounds and four assists. Aaliyah Gaitan had two rebounds.
"(Daralonie) Sykes had some great minutes. Kamilah started making 3's, and that's huge," said DeBolt. "These two teams, we know each other really well. Marin's a good basketball team. I think we just wore them down. We just started taking advantage of some little things. We got some steals, made some layups, got some free throws, and all of a sudden, we're up 15.
"I thought really one of the keys was we rebounded really well tonight. And not only did we rebound, but we were battling for rebounds. Kamilah just battled. She was getting after rebounds and jumping and really making an effort to rebound the ball.
"So, that was really a great team win for us, for my players."
NVC shot 35.4 percent from the field (23-of-65), 16.0 percent from the 3-point line (4-of-25), and 64.3 percent at the free-throw line (9-of-14). The Storm also had 52 rebounds, 16 assists and eight steals
"We just pulled it together. We've got to take it. We had to make it our game," said Giles.
Giles leads the state in defensive rebounds (11.0) and is seventh in total rebounds (14.6).
Giles has verbally committed to play for Cal State LA, a member of the NCAA-Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association. She will receive a full athletic scholarship.
She was named All-Bay Valley Conference as a unanimous first-team selection last year. She was also named as the Defensive Player of the Year, an NVC team award.
College of Marin (14-13 overall, 8-5 Bay Valley), which had a four-game winning streak end, was led by Isobel Crosswhite with 18 points and 18 rebounds and Samantha Morris with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Marin shot 29.0 percent from the field (18-of-62), 5.6 percent from 3-point range (1-of-18), and 62.5 percent from the free-throw line (10-of-16).
CCCWBCA State Top 25 Coaches Poll
Butte-Oroville is No. 1 in the final regular season California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association State Top 25 Coaches Poll, as announced by the California Community College Athletic Association, in a report, at 3c2asports.org, on Feb. 20.
Other Northern California teams listed include:
No. 6 San Joaquin Delta-Stockton, No. 10 Folsom Lake, No. 11 Laney-Oakland, No. 13 City College of San Francisco, No. 14 Cosumnes River-Sacramento, No. 16 Sierra-Rocklin, No. 19 Santa Rosa Junior College, No. 20 Chabot-Hayward, No. 21 San Jose City, No. 25 College of San Mateo.
CCCWBCA North Region Poll
Butte-Oroville is No. 1 in the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association North Region Poll, announced in a report by the California Community College Athletic Association, at 3c2asports.org, on Feb. 19.
Others listed include:
No. 2 San Joaquin Delta-Stockton, No. 4 Laney-Oakland, No. 5 Folsom Lake, No. 6 City College of San Francisco, No. 7 Cosumnes River-Sacramento, No. 8 Sierra-Rocklin, No. 10 San Jose City, No. 11 Chabot-Hayward, No. 12 Skyline-San Bruno, No. 13 Santa Rosa, No. 14 College of San Mateo, No. 15 Solano Community College-Fairfield.
* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.