The MSJC women's basketball team will open their 2021-22 season on Wednesday when they travel to Taft College for a 6 pm game.
The Eagles enter the season having won three straight conference titles and six league championships over the past 8 seasons. MSJC did not have a season last year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. This year's version of the Eagle squad will have plenty of new faces to go along with three returning sophomores.
Point guard Deja Blue (Moreno Valley/Canyon Springs HS) headlines the returning group as she comes into her sophomore season after earning First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-State honors in 2020. During the 19-20 season Blue started all 30 of the Eagles' games helping lead the team to a 27-3 record. She wrapped up her freshman campaign averaging 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. She pushed her scoring average to 13.9 in Inland Empire Athletic Conference games and had a career high 28 against Barstow on January 29th. She will be joined in the backcourt by returning Second Team All-Conference shooting guard Mariah Sanchez from Hemet High School. During the 19-20 season Sanchez averaged an even 10 points per game and made a team high 65 three point shots. She played in all 30 of MSJC's contests and scored in double figures 17 times. The third sophomore on the Eagle roster is Diamonere Butler another Moreno Valley Canyon Springs alum who started 14 games as a freshman and played in all 30. Butler ended her freshman season averaging 5.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
The trio of sophomores will be joined by a talented group of freshmen from throughout the Inland Empire. Sandee Heiermann, a 2020 graduate of Moreno Valley/Valley View HS, will make her long awaited Eagles debut after having to wait a full year due to the pandemic. Heiermann was an All Area player during her senior season leading Valley View to a 27-3 record and Ivy League title averaging over 14 points per game. Six class of 2021 high school graduates round out the roster. Rayven Crook (Murrieta Mesa HS) will be asked to play multiple positions as she brings a well rounded game to the floor. Crook averaged over 11 points per game in her senior season as well as over 3 assists and nearly 2 steals per contest. Maliyah Bosley a 5'9 guard from Palm Desert/Xavier Prep is fresh off an All-CIF senior season as she joins the Eagles after leading her team to the third round of the CIF playoffs this past Spring. Bosley averaged just short of 10 points a game while pulling in over 7 boards a night. Monica Malone (Fontana/Summit HS) and Shyann Morreo (Vista Murrieta HS) will also add depth in the back court as both versatile guards can score in a variety of ways. Alaysia Kidwell (Jurupa Hills/Patriot HS) and Alexis Pina (Fontana/Jurupa Hills HS) will look to provide some front court punch for MSJC. Kidwell is a versatile wing player who has spent some time in the post while Pina is a gifted 6'2 scorer.
The Eagles will stay in the central valley after their game with Taft to take on Porterville College on Thursday November 4th before playing their home opener on Thursday November 11th. The Eagles home opener will be against Antelope Valley as part of the San Jacinto Lion's Club Tip-Off Classic. The home opener on the 11th is set to begin at 5 pm.
Click on the link below for a complete 2021-22 women's basketball schedule