Mann, Point Loma Tower Above Competition : Pointer Girls’ Team Is 112-1 in 3 1/2 Seasons, and It Runs Up Score, Foes Say

SAN DIEGO —  A local high school coach prepares his girls’ basketball team for an upcoming game by setting goals. The first two: Hold the opposition’s top scorer to 30 points and lose by only 20 points.

This coach isn’t down on his team; he’s just preparing it for the reality of playing Point Loma.

“They are the best,” said Mira Mesa Coach Gary Blevins, whose team plays in the City Eastern League with Point Loma. “There is nobody in San Diego County who can beat them.”

Said Crawford Coach Jeff Olivero: “The thing that went through my mind when we were going to play them was, ‘Let’s play our game. Regardless if they beat us by 20 or 50, let’s just play good basketball and try not to make mistakes.’ I think that is the kind of thing you shoot for and strive for when you play against Point Loma. Not concentrating necessarily on beating them, but playing good, hard basketball.”

During the past 3 1/2 seasons, or since star forward Terri Mann joined the team, Point Loma has a 112-1 record, three San Diego Section titles and three state titles. The only loss came early last season, when Pasadena Muir (then the No. 1 team in the state) defeated the Fighting Pointers, 62-49.

The Fighting Pointers have won 108 straight at home.

“Any time you get in a tournament with them, you know you are not likely going to win the tournament,” Olivero said. “However, it does give you an opportunity to play some higher-caliber ball. The thing that we tried to do was to try not to let Terri Mann get the ball.”

It didn’t work.

Crawford faced Point Loma at the Point Loma Tournament earlier this season. Just before tipoff, Olivero noticed Mann standing near a gym doorway wearing street clothes.

“The thought crossed my mind for about half a second that we might have a chance of winning,” he said.

Things looked promising for Crawford, as it led, 14-8, at the end of the first quarter.

“We were beating them and their coach didn’t look too happy,” Crawford forward Laura Hatcher said. “We all believe that (Mann) is their team. She is the one who holds it together, and when she’s not there we can intimidate them.”

Soon Mann, who was supposed to sit out because of a back injury, was in uniform and on the court.

“Mann got suited up,” Olivero said. “and in middle of the second period there was a big 24-point turnaround real quick.”

Point Loma beat Crawford, 73-41.

Mann has been called one of the best players in the nation, but Point Loma Coach Lee Trepanier credits his team’s overpowering man-to-man defense as its best quality.

“Zones to me are a real pain. . . . Man-to-man is the way to play basketball,” Trepanier said. “That’s the thing that we win the games on. If more teams figured out ways to score on us rather than trying to stop Terri . . .

“Hey, Terri’s gonna get her points. Liza (Carrillo) is gonna get her points. I don’t give a damn, we’re just a well-balanced team.”

Getting points is something the Fighting Pointers seem to do with ease. This season, Point Loma is averaging 79 points a game while allowing 30. Last season, the Fighting Pointers averaged 81 points a game and allowed 29.

Those are the statistics that have other coaches accusing Trepanier of being a zealot who continuously runs up scores.

“A lot of people resent me,” Trepanier said.

Trepanier defends his team’s winning margins by stressing that by the time Point Loma advances to the state playoffs, his starting players will be playing the entire game. So now, he is simply giving them practice.

“I know we’re up by 50 points and here I am still having them play defense,” he said. “I want them closing lanes. I want them doing things that make them good basketball players.”

Aside from Mann, the Point Loma starting five consists of senior Carrillo, junior Lois Guillory, sophomore Monica Filer and freshman Tyeast Brown, Mann’s niece.

“A lot of people don’t like to play them,” Blevins said. “But I look forward to playing them because he has the best team. I mean, how many people get to play an All-American (Mann) or a top-caliber team? It’s like playing the Poway team in years past on the boys’ side.”

Mann is as imposing with her size--6-foot 2-inches and 175 pounds--as the Fighting Pointers are with their statistics.

“Terri is very physical,” Blevins said. “Girls tend to shy away from that a little bit. They see somebody rebound and yank that thing down and whip those arms around.”

Said Hatcher: “It was painful (guarding Mann). She knocked me down. I’m proud to say that I got to play with her, though, because she is an awesome player. But it was kind of scary.”

The question on everyone’s mind is, how will Point Loma survive without Terri Mann making the big plays in the middle?

“It will be a little more evenly matched, so you will have a chance,” Blevins said.

Said Trepanier: “Hey, the team I have is young. We only have two seniors on this team and we will be tough next year. People think when Terri goes, so will we. We were 22-1 before Terri got here and 27-3 the year before that.”