Menton exhibits talents at Pepperdine

Brian Wilkinson

(Updated: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 4:51 PM)

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Former Badger scores 22 against University of Portland

Katie Menton, the only basketball player in the history of Yosemite High School to play at the Division 1 level, has recovered from knee surgery and is now a starter for the Pepperdine Waves in Malibu.

The 2007 YHS graduate owns 10 of 15 girl's basketball school records and is in the top three in two other categories. Menton, who started for the Badgers for four years, is one of only a handful of athletes in the state that has four section championships rings.

Julie Rousseau, sixth-year head coach at Pepperdine and former coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, calls her starting guard Katie "the microwave" Menton.

The reference is to Vinny Johnson, former player for the Detroit Pistons who would come in a game and make things happen in a minute.

Menton was named to the 2007-08 West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team.

"Before her injury early last season, Katie was averaging a point a minute for us," Rousseau said. "Katie's a big threat for us. She worked hard all summer long to rehab her knee and she's coming back to form.

Rousseau has a young team this season, losing five seniors, three who were starters, from last year's team, which finished third in the West Coast Conference. This year's team is made up of two seniors, one junior, five sophomores, including Menton who redshirted one season due to her injury, and six freshman.

One of the two seniors is Miranda Ayim, a nationally ranked player in three categories who has registered four double-doubles in scoring and rebounds this season.

"My sophomore class is pretty special," Rousseau said. In addition to Menton, sophomores Jazmine Jackson and Lauren Bell both played at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in San Francisco, where they were three-time Division 1 state champions.

Pepperdine was picked to finish third in the WCC in a preseason vote by the league's coaches. The vote had Gonzaga in first, followed by Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Clara.

The Waves played Gonzaga last Wednesday night in Spokane and came up on the short end of a 107-64 score, with Menton scoring five points. Both teams were 3-0 in league coming into the game.

Although the team lost in overtime Saturday to the University of Portland, 82-76, Menton had her best game of the season hitting six three-pointers and totaling 22 points. She scored the first five points of the game and had two steals and one assist.

She has scored 20 and 18 twice against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Utah State and Nevada respectively.

The waves are currently 12-6 on the season.

Big wins for Pepperdine this season have been over Prudue, Providence, San Jose State, Utah State, Nevada, UC Santa Barbara, Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara.

Loses came against the likes of Stanford, Arizona State and Kansas.

Menton is averaging 21 minutes playing time and almost 10 points per game from her guard position. Her two-point and three-point shooting average is 30% and her free throw percentage is 75%.

The coach said Menton has a lot of range on the court both offensively and defensively.

"Her range begins when she steps in the gym."

"Katie is a phenomenal kid," Rousseau said. "She enjoys life and enjoys being out on the court - she's a player that would sacrifice anything for the team. Our whole team is like that. They all work hard to make each other better -- instead of it's all about me."

Menton said the biggest transition for her from high school to Division 1 college basketball was the mental part of the game.

"I have to prepare mentally every day, even for practice. The game is so much faster than in high school," Menton said.

Menton, who is majoring in sports broadcasting, says she is enthusiastic about her classes and realizes what a great opportunity she has been given to receive a degree from Pepperdine University.

She says her teammates are like sisters.

"When you spend six days a week with them, on and off the court, you become pretty close."

Menton attended North Fork Elementary School and then moved with her family to Yosemite Lakes Park for her high school years at YHS.

She credits Yosemite High coach Gary Blate as the biggest reason she is playing at the college level.

"He paved the way for me -- preparing me for what it was going to be like."

Menton exhibited her skills early when she won the state free throw contest sponsored by Knights of Columbus at age 13.

Details: pepperdineuniversity.edu.

Katie Menton YHS

School Records

Career Records

Points - 2,235

3-pointers -- 228