By Michael Aronson
The Daily News awarded the boys’ and girls’ basketball programs with a series of accolades this year, including Coach of the Year and All-Area first team honors.
Damiene Cain ’11, Zena Edosomwan ’12, Skylar Tsutsui ’11 and Hilary King ’11 all made their respective All-Area first teams and girls’ coach Melissa Hearlihy received Coach of the Year.
In his four seasons, Cain won 103 games total and his Division III-A player of the year season averaged 14.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. The 6’ 7” center ranked ninth on Calihighsports.com top players in California and will be attending Colorado University.
“Damiene has been the foundation of our success over the past four years,” Head Coach Greg Hilliard said. “He has consistently scored and rebounded in double figures and just does not believe in having that bad day that everyone else experiences once in a while.”
Edosomwan led the team in points with 17.1 per game and averaged 10.6 rebounds per game. The 6-8 junior dropped 35 points against Santa Monica and heads into his senior year along with Josh Hearlihy ’12 as leading players.
“I am not surprised, but very pleased that both were recognized for their outstanding years. Damiene has been a fixture on that team for four years and Zena elevated to that status this season,” Hilliard said. “I am extremely proud of these young men.”
On the girls’ squad, Tsutsui and King made the first All-Area team while Natalie Florescu ’13 and Esther Lee ’11 made the second team.
Though she missed some games with an ankle injury, Tsutsui guided the team to its third straight Southern Section finals. She averaged 14 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in her senior season. King accompanied Tsutsui in the girls’ winning the Mission League and averaged 6.6 points per game with 10.3 a game in Mission League play along with 2.7 steals per contest.
Hearlihy also received an award for the team’s success this season, winning Coach of the Year.
“Whenever coaches are given awards like this, it is because of the team,” Hearlihy said. “We coach year in and year out and we work really hard but it is always the kids that allows us to be honored in this way.”