Oregon-bound Te-hina Paopao receives top honors in girls basketball from MaxPreps
By JOHN MAFFEI
MARCH 30, 2020
La Jolla Country Day senior Te-hina Paopao has added one more accolade to a national championship season by being named California girls basketball Player of the Year by MaxPreps.
Paopao is the first San Diego girl to be named the best in the state since MaxPreps began in 2004.
MaxPreps has yet to choose its national Player of the Year, though it named Paopao first-team All-America, the only girl from San Diego so honored.
“The biggest thing for Te-hina is that she was healthy,” La Jolla Country Day coach Terri Bamford said. “The most-amazing thing, though, is her leadership. Her leadership is why we were so good.
“For Te-hina, it’s team before anything. Accolades mean nothing to her. Victories matter most.
“She put the team on her back — made baskets, defended, found the open player — in the Southern California title game. That’s why we won.”
After leading the Torreys to a 31-1 record and being crowned national champions, Bamford was named national Coach of the Year by MaxPreps.
Paopao overcame ACL injuries to both knees during her four-year career at La Jolla Country Day, which won San Diego Section and Southern California Regional Open Division championships this season.
LJCD beat Los Angeles Windward in the Southern California Regional championship game, with Paopao scoring 30 points.
The Torreys were set to play San Jose Archbishop Mitty in the state final before it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paopao, who earned a scholarship to the University of Oregon, averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game. The 5-foot-10 guard hit 82 3-pointers.
Paopao also was named Gatorade state Player of the Year and was selected as a McDonald’s All-American.
Cal-Hi Sports has yet to name its state Player of the Year. Cal-Hi began naming players of the year in 1972.
The Torreys were named state Team of the Year by Cal-Hi, joining Terri Mann’s 1986-87 Point Loma team (34-0), the 1985-86 Point Loma squad (31-1) and the 1974-75 Hilltop team (18-0) in being named best in the state.
In addition, Cal-Hi named Paopao first-team all-state while Cathedral Catholic sophomore Ice Brady and LJCD freshman Breya Cunningham were named to the second team.