Morningside’s Dynamic Duo

You can’t blame Morningside guards Carla Gladden and JoJo Witherspoon for hamming it up, considering the media attention they’ve been getting lately. It’s not exactly easy to grab attention on a team that has two-time all-American forward Shaunda Greene and 6-foot-5 sophomore center sensation Lisa Leslie.

The publicity the two guards are receiving has a lot to do with the fact that the Lady Monarchs are going to the state finals in Oakland on Saturday as the top-ranked team, after winning the CIF 4-A title two weeks ago and the Division I Regional title last week at the Sports Arena.

But it is more than just the success. Lately, Witherspoon and Gladden have earned the attention with their solid court performances.

During the playoffs, both have done enough hustling to make big differences in the Lady Monarchs’ sweep of postseason games.

“They have speed,” said Steve Kavaloski, who coaches girls basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union summer league. “JoJo is an all-around player who can score when she has to, and she’s an excellent outside shooter.

“Carla is just a quick guard who creates lots of problems for any defense, and she could also put the ball in the hoop.”

Gladden is a 5-foot-5 senior point guard who, aside from her speed, is known for great passing. Even though she has another game left before the end of her high school career, the 17-year old has broken two CIF records.

She has 333 assists this season, which surpasses the single-season assist record of 298 set in 1968. Gladden also broke the CIF career-assist record by almost 100. The old record was 751 and Gladden has 846 so far.

“When she came in her freshman year,” said Morningside Coach Frank Scott, “I knew she could be all-world. She could easily average 20 points a game if I needed her to.”

Instead, Gladden averages 15 points and 11 assists because Scott stresses getting the ball inside to Leslie, who averages 23 points and 13 rebounds and Greene, a 6-foot senior who averages 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Gladden’s performance throughout the year has been good enough to attract college recruiters from Cal State Fullerton, USC and Cal State Long Beach.

“She loves the competition,” Scott said. “When the competition is tough, that’s when Carla goes all out, and our toughest competition is now (playoffs) because during league it really isn’t.”

Gladden’s intensity, acrobatic moves and fancy maneuvers with the ball left a couple of fans at the regional game against Hanford saying, “That No. 23 is a real showboat.”

Gladden had 18 points, 10 assists and 5 steals in that semifinal regional game that Morningside won, 76-45. Last week in the regional final against Lynwood at the Sports Arena, Gladden had 7 points, 4 assists and 3 steals.

“I’m always 100% confident when Carla has the ball,” said Green, who has been Gladden’s teammate for four years. “She’s one of the best, if not the best, guard in the state. Carla can penetrate and dish off at any given moment and she can break any defense.”

Gladden, who was an all-South Bay player last year and a Times all-star, is content with her role on the team.

“I’m not the type to score 30 points, anyway,” she said. “It feels better when I pass it. I mean, I have the green light to shoot, but if I don’t get it in it (the ball) inside, it would look pretty stupid, since that’s our strong point.”

Morningside also has good outside shooting, thanks to Witherspoon. The 5-foot-8 junior is a strong defensive player with great versatility.

“She can be a point guard, off guard or small forward,” Scott said. “She can also score, but her main job now is to look inside and get the ball to Lisa and Shaunda, which she does with no problem because she’s a very unselfish player.”

Witherspoon, an all-Pioneer League player last year who averages six assists and six rebounds, knows when to stop dishing off and take the ball to the basket.

In the CIF Southern Section championship game against Lynwood on March 5, she turned the game around for the Lady Monarchs, scoring six points and four steals in the fourth quarter.

Leslie had fouled out with 4:32 left to play, which put a big dent on the Lady Monarchs’ inside game. Morningside trailed until Witherspoon tied the score at 42 after a steal and a runaway layup. Then she hit a pair of free throws and 20 seconds later made a bank shot that gave Morningside the lead. The Lady Monarchs won, 60-55.

Scott, who’s usually very calm, admitted he was nervous after Leslie fouled out and said as he wiped sweat from his forehead, “When Lisa was out, JoJo knew what she had to do. She did her part to help. She is the unsung hero.”

As it turns out, both Gladden and Witherspoon are Morningside’s unsung heroes. They have played major roles on this year’s 33-1 team which will board a plane bound for Oakland on Friday afternoon for its first-ever appearance in the state final.

“Me and Carla,” said Witherspoon, “we don’t get as much attention, but we know what we’ve been doing.”