The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The Lakewood Girls Basketball team is primed for another successful season.
The Lancers are coming off of a season where they appeared in their first ever CIF-SS championship and are retaining the Moore League Player of the Year Nyemah King. Lakewood is looking to build upon last year with what coach Eric Oswell calls one of his deepest rosters in recent years.
“I think we’re gonna make another run this year,” Oswell said. “As long as the chemistry is good and we’re sharing the ball. I think we’re deeper than last year and maybe better defensively than last year. So we’re excited for the upcoming season.”
Averaging almost 26 points per game last season, Nyemah King comes into her senior campaign as one of the best scorers the Moore League has seen. King played for California Storm’s Team Taurasi over the offseason where she says she learned to take pride in playing well on defense.
“Last year I was a big offensive scorer,” she said. “But this year I’ve learned to take pride in defense so now instead of just being the best offensively in the league I wanna be the best on defense too.”
King will be without former Moore League Player of the Year and graduate Cristina Jones but will play alongside key returners in Dionna Bradley and first-team all league Amy Rubio. The pair were both key contributors on Lakewood’s championship team a year ago.
“We have the same passion and goal from last year which is to get back to the championship and win this year,” King said. “We have different types of players though since we’re without (graduate Cristina Jones), so we just have people who are trying to fill in different positions.”
One of the newest editions to the Lancers will be first-team all Moore League Tristin Foafoa, a 5-foot-8 junior from Wilson. According to Oswell, Foafoa made the transfer this school year and will undergo a mandatory sit-out period upon gaining eligibility.
The Lancers will also have a few players back from injury including Devoni Ray and Joycelyn Scott, while Isabella Ramsey will also step up big as just a sophomore. King, Bradley, and Ray each played on Lakewood’s flag football team this fall, and are three of the six total dual-sport athletes on the Lancers roster.
Last year, Lakewood finished 27-7 and 10-2 in the Moore League. They took their only two league losses to Long Beach Poly.
The Lancers open their league schedule at Jordan on Dec.13 and will look to cut Long Beach Poly’s 188-game Moore League win streak when they match up on Dec. 19 and Jan. 24.
