Bell-Jeff Doesn’t Have Guard Down : With Focus on Winning State Title, Flores Has Picked Up Her Game in the Playoffs

BURBANK —  Cheryl Flores of Bell-Jeff High has made it clear that winning the State Division IV girls basketball championship is the only option.

During Bell-Jeff’s last three playoff games, the 5-foot-8 senior guard has raised her level of play, averaging 18 points, 8.4 assists and seven steals--up from 11.9, 6.2 and 5.6.

Perhaps more telling of her desire are the 16 times she said the word “win” during a 25-minute interview--an average of 1.56 times per minute.

“Winning makes me feel good,” Flores said. “None of us are afraid to lose, we just don’t like the feeling after we’ve lost a game, you know. It’s only happened once this season and it wasn’t good so we don’t want to feel that way. That motivates me to win.”

That motivation and desire has spilled over to a Guard team that faces St. Bernard in the Southern California Regional Division IV final today at 9 a.m. at the Pond of Anaheim.

The winner advances to next Saturday’s state Division IV championship game.

“I think we all have that winning spirit because we hang around each other all day and that’s basically all we talk about,” Flores said. “We always keep a positive attitude and it comes out on the court.”

The desire to win has so obsessed Flores that even after the Guards (31-1) won the Southern Section Division IV-A championship last week, she immediately began to focus on the state championship.

“People ask us every day at school, ‘Can you believe you’re [Southern Section] champions?’ and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I forgot,’ ” Flores said. “Not that I forget, I’m just waiting for the next game.”

Desire has gotten Flores a long way, but she has the skills to go even further. Her quickness, ball-handling and outstanding on-court anticipation make her one of the top point guards in the area.

Unfortunately, her skills have gone virtually unnoticed by college scouts for much of the season--mainly because they stopped attending Bell-Jeff games after Jaclyn Johnson, a heavily recruited 6-1 forward, signed with Kansas in November.

“A lot of people are missing the boat on her,” Guard Coach Jim Couch said. “She understands the game in a unique way.

“I’ve seen her take some pretty good guards to the basket and make some passes I wouldn’t even attempt. She can only be an asset and she can only get better.”

A few NCAA Division I schools have begun showing interest lately through phone calls and questionnaire letters.

“It’s sort of frustrating because I know I can play at Division I and I’m as good as anybody else,” Flores said. “But when you have a big star like Jackie they’re just focused on her. That’s fine, it didn’t really hurt me. I’ll prove myself.”

The most impressive part of Flores’ game is her defense. Her steal average is good, but it doesn’t account for the number of times her constant hounding of the opposing ball handler forces a bad pass or other form of turnover.

The trademark Flores move is a high leap off the floor with two hands extended high in the air in anticipation of a pass--a move that has accounted for about a third of her steals.

“I get excited when I steal the ball,” Flores said. “When the crowd gets into the game, oh my gosh, it turns me around. I feel like a little animal or something. Everywhere the ball is at I want to be near it.”

Soon, the magical Bell-Jeff run--which has produced the school’s first Southern Section championship in any sport--will come to an end. Be it with a state championship or not, it will end Flores’ career, a thought she has pondered throughout the playoffs.

“Every time we win a game I picture in my mind what if we had lost, what would I have done?” she said. “But I can’t see myself not playing basketball in high school. I’m not sure what I’ll do after or how I’ll react, but I’ll be happy.”

Especially if Bell-Jeff wins.