Cal Lutheran Women's Basketball All-Decade Team Announced

Next Up; Swimming and Diving (Women's, July 19), (Men's, July 22)

Monday, Jul. 12, 2010 6:00 am

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - To open the decade the Cal Lutheran women's basketball team claimed a third consecutive conference championship in 2000 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. During the decade it added back-to-back SCIAC titles in 2005 and 2006, leading to a pair of postseason appearances. The program amassed 134 victories during that time including three 19-win seasons and 81 conference wins.

The All-Decade Team is made up 11 players that have earned 19 combined All-SCIAC awards, including two four-time recipients and three SCIAC Players of the Year. As a group the team has scored 7,961 points combined in their careers including 1,729 points from the all-time leading scorer in the program's history, Lauren Stroot.

Guards
Monica Flores (1997-2000)
Flores transferred to CLU and played three seasons with the Regals, helping the program to three consecutive SCIAC Championships. She ranks fourth among players eligible for the All-Decade Team in assists with 251. In 78 career games she racked up 355 points, 180 rebounds and 125 steals. In 2000 she was named the SCIAC Baldwin Award winner given to a senior that has displayed sportsmanship throughout her career.

Alex Mallen (2002-06)
Mallen started in all 102 games during her four-year career with the Regals and was part of the back-to-back SCIAC Championship teams. The point guard was the team leader and earned All-SCIAC First Team honors in 2006. Mallen ranks first in the decade in assists, second in steals and third in rebounds. She contributed in all areas of the sport and posted career averages of 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Valerie Piña (2001-05)
A three-year player for CLU, Piña was the senior leader on the 2005 SCIAC Championship team and was named the SCIAC Player of the Year after averaging 15 points, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game that season. She ranks fifth in the decade in assists and seventh in three-pointers made while appearing in 76 games over three seasons. She shot 82 percent at the line as a senior and her 99 free throws made is the second most in a season this decade.

Mary Placido (2004-08)
Placido was a four-year starter for CLU and spent her first two seasons as part of the back-to-back SCIAC Championship teams. As a freshman she averaged 14.1 points per game and was a three-time All-SCIAC honoree with a first team selection in 2007 and second team selections in 2005 and 2008. She ranks first in the decade in three-pointers (195), second in points (1,216), second in free throws made (245) and third in assists (270).

Nicole Sanchez (1997-2001)
Sanchez shot 41 percent from the three-point line over her four-year career and was a four-time All-SCIAC honoree. The CLU guard earned All-SCIAC First Team recognition three times (1998, 1999, 2000) and was a second team selection in 2001. She ranks first in the decade in career blocks (111), second in three-pointers (183), third in total points (1,184), fourth in free throws (189) and sixth in steals (160) after playing in 95 games over four seasons.

Tiffiny Shim (2004-08)
Shim spent her first two seasons as part of the back-to-back SCIAC Championship teams and ended up playing in 94 games in four seasons with the Regals. The point guard averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game for her career and was a two-time All-SCIAC Second Team member (2006, 2007). Her 313 career assists ranks second in the decade and her 120 assists in 2005-06 is the best single season mark in the decade.

Forwards
Katie Carpenter (1997-2001)
Carpenter posted a standout junior campaign during the 1999-2000 season and was named the SCIAC Player of the Year after averaging 11.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. In her four-year career with the Regals she shot 51 percent from the field over 86 games. Carpenter left CLU with career totals of 725 points and 398 rebounds and was a part of three SCIAC Championship teams.

Julie Cichon (2000-04)
Cichon played in 83 games in her four-year career and was a contributor in every aspect of the sport. She ranks second in the decade in blocked shots (81), fourth in rebounds (440) and sixth in three-pointers (69). Cichon finished with career averages of 9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and shot over 40 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line. She was named All-SCIAC Second Team in 2004.

Haley Jones (1998-2000)
Jones transferred to CLU and put up 540 points in two seasons with the Regals while helping win conference championships in both seasons. In 2000 she was named to the All-SCIAC First Team following a second team selection in 1999. She averaged 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game over her two seasons while appearing in 53 games and making 49 starts. Jones shot 55 percent from the field (198-for-359).

Lauren Stroot (2002-06)
The all-time scoring leader in Regals basketball history with 1,729 points, Stroot was a four-time All-SCIAC selection. As a senior she was named the SCIAC Player of the Year, following back-to-back first team nods after her junior and sophomore seasons and a second team selection as a freshman. She is CLU's all-time leader in field goals (696) and free throws made (333) and pulled down more rebounds (673) than any other player in the decade.

Starla Wright (2009-Present)
Wright began her freshman year during the 2009-10 season and was just in time to make our All-Decade Team. She helped the Regals equal their third highest win total in program history with 19 victories. Wright was named to the All-SCIAC First Team after posting a team-best 11.6 points per game. She was fifth in the SCIAC with a .523 field goal percentage and 14th in rebounding with 6.1 per game.