Shew takes home MVP; 2 Marauders on 1st team

While the city’s boys teams didn’t land that many on the All-EYL teams, the girls had no such problem.

Porterville senior forward Alex Shew took home EYL MVP honors, a feat as predictable as Tom Brady’s 2007 NFL MVP. Shew was the leading scorer on the best team (averaged close to 18 points per game) and carried the Panthers to two come-from-behind wins to help secure the league title.

Shew scored 26 and 30 points to help Porterville overcome 13- and 14-point deficits to top Monache and Tulare Union, respectively. She also scored a game-high 21 points in the Valley title game before fouling out with a minute remaining.

Two Marauders made their way onto the first team in junior point guard Bethany Reed and senior center Devin Short. 

Reed was the leader of Monache’s 32-minute assault on opposing backcourts, averaging 9.1 points per game and getting 5.5 steals a game. 

She tallied 28 points in two games against Porterville and led the Marauders with 16 in their season-ending loss to Sanger in the Division II playoffs

Short’s high-water mark came against Tulare Union where she bludgeoned the Redskins down low for 32 points. She averaged 14.2 points and 8.8 boards.

Three other members of Division III’s second-best team — guards Noel Garcia and Stevee Thomas, and center Cori Ann Snyder — made the league’s second team.

Thomas led the Panthers with 16 points in their quarterfinal win over Tulare Western. Garcia, a defensive specialist, scored 19 total points in two games against the Marauders. Snyder held Short to seven points in the teams’ battle for the league title, Feb. 19.

Monache freshman Janae Alcantar, who scored 10.8 points per game and was often lethal from beyond the 3-point arc was on the second team. Granite Hills sophomore center Emily Fechner also made the second team.

All-EYL Girls’ Basketball

MVP: Alex Shew, F - Porterville

First Team

Bethany Reed, PG - Monache

Regine Mercenario, G - Delano

Jessica Martin, F - Tulare Western

Ebone Brown, F - Tulare Union

Jeni Cunha, PF - Tulare Union

Devin Short, C - Monache 

Second Team

Stevee Thomas, PG - Porterville

Janae Alcantar, SG - Monache

Noel Garcia, G - Porterville

Jayme Salim, G - Chavez

Katie Tomcak, G - Tulare Western

Caitlen Kasbergen, F - Tulare Western

Cori Ann Snyder, C - Porterville

Emily Fechner, C - Granite Hills