Roadrunners Building Team from Ground Up

It's a season of change for the Loma Linda girls' varsity basketball team. It's a new year in a new league with a new coach and literally a new team for the Roadrunners.

The varsity squad boasts no returning starters, is under the direction of first-year head coach Brianne Carroll and the Roadrunners are now a part of a newly created 8-team league called the Ambassador League.

"It's going to be a rebuilding year, but it's going to be a good rebuilding year. I have high expectations for them," Carroll said.

So far the team is playing .500 ball, sitting at 2-2 in preseason play. The Roadrunners picked up their second win late Wednesday night with a 60-22 walloping of San Gabriel Academy in the La Sierra Academy Holiday Classic tournament in Riverside.

"The girls are coming together little by little. I see they have what it takes, so I just have to build their confidence," Carroll said.

The Roadrunners have six seniors on the team, but even considered together they have few actual minutes of varsity court time.

"The key to our winning this season is going to be the team. We don't have any stars or standouts, but all the girls are solid in their game," Carroll said.

In Wednesday's game, Loma Linda outscored the Eagles more than 2-1 in all but the first quarter and nearly every Roadrunner saw the court and every player who saw the court found the basket.

"They're showing flashes of what they can do and tonight we got a glimpse of what they can be," Carroll said.

Loma Linda had two Roadrunners hit the double digits, as sophomores Caitlin Terykina and Alexandra Stream, each with 10 points.

"They're moving the ball well. They're putting their speeds and styles together," Carroll said. 

Senior point guard Elizabeth Yeo will be looking to set the pace of the Roadrunner's fast-break offense.

"We don't have any size, so our game is going to be about tempo and fast break," Carroll said. "Elizabeth is really going to push the ball for us and she makes great decisions in passing."

Sinking threes this season for the Roadrunners are outside shooters, senior Lydia Kore and sophomore Jacque Jones. Leading Loma Linda's defense is senior Brooke Stimmel and junior Kisha Colegado.

"Brooke is an aggressive, strong defender for us and Kisha is a sparkplug. When she gets in the game she's on fire and she pushes the girls. She's going to be a great all-around player for us," Carroll said.

The Roadrunners face a tough league this year with perennial top competitor Ontario Christian, which boasts a lot of experience and height, Carroll said. However, she expects Aquinas High School to be the league's underdog.

"I think they're going to be better than what they show on paper," Carroll said.

And then there's always the tough Linfield Christian, Western Christian and the Roadrunner's close rival Arrowhead Christian Academy to add to the tough competition of this year's bigger league. Carroll said she expects the Roadrunners to be scrapping it out in the middle of the pack and hopes their team-oriented style of play will push them over the top.

Loma Linda continues preseason play in the Riverside tournament before opening league against Western Christian 6 p.m. Wednesday on their home court.