Edwards overcomes injuries to help drive Giants' women's basketball team into state's Elite Eight
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
Hailee Edwards was done.
Frustrated by what she perceived as her lack of productivity, Edwards, a 5-foot-9 sophomore forward, wanted to quit the College of the Sequoias women's basketball team at midseason.
"I've never been the same player I was in high school. I was a dominant player on offense," said Edwards, who prepped at Bakersfield's Ridgeview High. "And I was feeling that if I couldn't contribute on offense, what was I needed for? But (Sequoias) Coach (Ray Alvarado) never gave up on me, and I'm thankful for that."
Not only did Edwards not quit, she has become a vital member of a Giants' team that has won 12 straight games en route to capturing the outright Central Valley Conference title and reaching the California Community College Athletic Association's Elite Eight championship tournament.
Northern California No. 4-seeded Sequoias (23-5) will face Southern California No. 1 Mt. San Antonio (25-3) in a quarterfinal game scheduled for 7 p.m. March 10 at Golden Eagle Arena on the campus of West Hills-Lemoore College.
Tickets for each day of the four-day men's and women's event -- priced at $12 for general admission, $8 for seniors over 60, $8 for high school and college students with a valid school ID, and $8 for children 11 and younger -- will be available at the door and for purchase in advance at https://cccaa.hometownticketing.com/embed/all.
All fans will be required by the CCCAA to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test.
Edwards came pretty close to needing a ticket this weekend to watch the Giants.
"She felt out of place, like she wasn't helping the team," Alvarado said. "She was frustrated with herself. So I brought her in and said that's not acceptable. That's not what she is about. That's not what her family is about."
Arriving at Sequoias as one of Alvarado's prized recruits in 2019, Edwards had been a three-year varsity player at Ridgeview, where she averaged 10.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a junior.
Edwards, who has two older brothers that played college football and a younger brother who is likely to as well, would have been a four-year varsity player had she not missed her entire senior season with a left knee injury that required surgery.
Edwards got off to a quick start as a freshman for the Giants, scoring 22 points in her second college game and combining to score 32 points along with 12 rebounds, three steals and a block during her first three games before dislocating her right shoulder. The injury required surgery and four months of recovery, sidelining her the rest of the 2019-2020 season.
When Sequoias became one of eight community colleges around the state to bring women's basketball back in the spring of 2021 after the 2020-2021 championship season was canceled because of Covid-19 safety precautions, Edwards returned for the first two of the Giants' eight games.
She combined for 10 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and an assist and a block before re-injuring her right shoulder and needing a second surgery, this one requiring six months of rehab.
"It was tough," Edwards said. "I felt I could never stay healthy. It was taxing mentally. But I love basketball, so I had to get back."
Edwards missed Sequoias' first six games of this season while gaining medical clearance. She made her debut Nov. 16 -- 11 days after the Giants' opened their season -- during an 85-36 home win over Lassen, contributing one point, two rebounds and three steals.
Edwards played sparingly during Sequoias' next 12 games before circumstance thrust her into a different role, and a more prominent one, down the stretch.
With returning leading rebounder Alana Roberts (Sierra Pacific-Hanford) unable to return from an early ankle injury, and two other post players -- Ella Thompson (Mammoth) and Kuda Ceesay (Atlanta) -- off the team in mid-December, the Giants needed someone to rebound and defend opposing post players.
Edwards stepped up and has averaged 5.2 points, a team-leading 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks over Sequoias' past nine games.
"I know every game I have to battle someone bigger than me, so I have to go out there and work," Edwards said. "I feel like it is the dirty work that doesn't always get glorified as well as other roles on the team. But it's helping my team get where it wants to be."
Alvarado said Edwards is a big reason why the Giants have reached the Elite Eight for the fifth time in the past seven championship seasons.
"I'm really proud of her determination," Alvarado said. "She became the glue in our middle. She's done a very efficient job. I really believe we wouldn't be where we are if she had left us. I'm really glad she decided to stay."
If the Giants defeat Mt. San Antonio, which is riding the state's longest winning streak at 18 games, they advance to the semifinals at either 1 or 3 p.m. March 12. The women's final is set for 1 p.m. March 13.
Edwards said that she's unsure about extending her basketball career beyond this season. And if this is it, she wants to go out on top while helping the program capture its second state title. The Giants won their only state championship in 1987.
"I feel like I'm a real JUCO story. I've been through a lot," Edwards said. "It's bittersweet that it's coming to an end, but I want to end it on a high note and win that championship. We've been doubted this whole year. But we proved we belong, and now we've just got to handle business."
The Giants' men have also reached the quarterfinals, making Sequoias the only community college in the state with both its basketball teams in the Elite Eight.
The NorCal No. 3-seeded Giants' men (26-4) face SoCal No. 2 San Bernardino Valley (25-5) at 7 p.m. March 11. The men's semifinals are at 5 and 7 p.m. March 12, with the final at 3:30 p.m. March 13.
Sequoias' men are making their third straight trip to the Elite Eight in a championship season. The Giants have won the men's state title twice: in 1982 and 1953.
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN
QUARTERFINALS
MARCH 10
North No. 3 Butte (23-6) vs. South No. 2 Irvine Valley (25-2), 1 p.m.
South No. 3 Moorpark (24-3) vs. North No. 2 Sierra (25-3), 3 p.m.
South No. 4 Palomar (26-2) vs. North No. 1 San Joaquin Delta (28-2), 5 p.m.
North No. 4 College of the Sequoias (23-5) vs. South No. 1 Mt. San Antonio (25-3), 7 p.m.
MARCH 12
Quarterfinals winners: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 13
Semifinals winners: 1 p.m.
MEN
QUARTERFINALS
MARCH 11
North No. 4 Las Positas (27-3) vs. South No. 1 West L.A. (27-3), 1 p.m.
South No. 3 Citrus (23-6) vs. North No. 2 West Valley (26-3), 3 p.m.
South No. 4 MiraCosta (17-14) vs. North No. 1 City College of San Francisco (29-1), 5 p.m.
South No. 2 San Bernardino Valley (25-5) vs. North No. 3 College of the Sequoias (26-4), 7 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
MARCH 12
Quarterfinal winners: 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 13
Semifinal winners: 3:30 p.m.
