By Tala Bashmi
City Times

After a decade-long absence, the San Diego City College women’s basketball team has been reinstated.

The Knights struggled during the pre-season, finishing 1-13, as well as finishing a dismal 1-12 during conference play, but that is only to be expected from a team so recently formed.

On Feb. 3, the team did get their first conference win at the expense of the Grossmont Griffins, with a hard earned 64-57 victory.

City’s Melissa Gaines, guard, led with 20 points, 16 coming in the second half to pick up the slack after center Laura Mosqueda fouled out with 13:31 remaining. Gaines also collected five assists, while team co-captain Calissa Fletcher scored 17 points.

“We’ve worked hard to get this far. the win may not mean much to anyone else, but for us it means everything,” said Tonya Alleyne, the team’s new head coach.

Alleyne was a standout basketball player herself during her years at Seton Hall. Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1991 and earning her master’s degree in corporate and public communication, she has coached at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, and Fresno State.

She is reinstating the women’s basketball team with the help of assistant coaches Jose De La Garma, Erin Eckenrode and Jeff Perham.

From grueling practices to nursing their injuries with the help of the caring trainers, these players and coaches could be the cause of a major turnaround for the future of City’s women’s basketball team.

With the season drawn to a close, the Knights, made up entirely of freshmen, ended their season with a 2-25 overall record.

The Pacific Coast Conference announced that Gaines has been selected to the 2007 All-PCC First Team. In addition, Mosqueda and Fletcher were also selected by the PCC in the honorable mention category.