W. Basketball: Jesenia Rendon voted division's Player of the Year

File Photo: Jesenia Rendon voted division's Player of the Year
File Photo: Jesenia Rendon voted division's Player of the Year

Sophomore Jesenia Rendon (Carson HS), who helped the Cerritos College women's basketball team to a share of the South Coast Conference South Division title, was voted as the Player of the Year. Rendon, who averaged 19.9 points a game in conference play, ranks tied for ninth in the state in scoring on the year with a 20.0 average, as well as 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game. It marks the second season in a row she was named 1st Team all-conference. Head coach Trisha Kozlowski, who has led the Falcons to the post-season in three of her four seasons, was voted the division's Coach of the Year for the first time in her career.

Trisha Kozlowski was voted the conference's Coach of the Year After missing three games early in the season with an injury, Rendon came back with three straight 20-plus games and also turned in a 30-point game against Grossmont College. She recorded 15 20-point games this season.

Joining her on the 1st Team were sophomores Serena Rendon (Carson HS) and Jessica Gomez (Legacy HS), as well as freshman Sarah Hernandez (St. Paul HS). Sophomore guard Lynette Garcia (Downey HS/Park, MO University) was voted to the 2nd Team. Serena Rendon, a two-time 1st Team selection, and Freshman Player of the Year last season, averages 15.6 points a game along with 4.9 rebounds a game and has drained 83 three-pointers. She also led the conference with a 78.6 free throw percentage. Serena Rendon tied her career-high with 31 points in the final regular season game (with eight three-pointers) and posted nine 20-point games on the year. 

As for Gomez, she accounted for 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds, with Hernandez coming on strong later in the season and averages 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds off the bench. Garcia produces 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds a game for the Falcons this season. Gomez scored a season-high 15 points against Long Beach City College and pulled down a season-high seven boards against Los Angeles Harbor College. Hernandez turned in a season-high 22 points against Los Angeles Southwest College and recorded double-figure scoring in six of the final 10 games, which included a pair of double-doubles. In the final regular season game, Garcia posted a season-high in points (19) and three-pointers (six) and added a pair of 14-point games in conference play.

The Falcons (20-10) will be hosting Citrus College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs.