Athlete of the Month: Erin Tomlinson

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - For Orange Coast College women’s basketball player

Erin Tomlinson, being content is just not enough.

“We’ll be finished with practice and I’ll go to my office to finish up

some stuff and when I’m ready to leave, I’ll hear her still shooting and

practicing,” Coach Mike Thornton said of his sophomore guard. “I know it

sounds kind of cliche, but she’s usually the first one on the court and

the last one to leave.”

Her extra work is paying off. All Tomlinson has done is rank in the

top-three for the Pirates in scoring, rebounds, assists, free throws and

steals, while also providing stingy defense.

“I feel like those extra 10 to 20 minutes before and after practice

will help me become a better player,” Tomlinson said. “I’ll take the time

to make myself better and hopefully that will make the team better. I

just love to play.”

To rank so high in so many different categories, Tomlinson has had to

play many different roles on the Pirates’ squad, something which Thornton

believes is her biggest asset to the team.

“She’s really made a lot of progress over the past two years,”

Thornton said. “She realizes that she doesn’t necessarily have to score

to contribute.”

A good example of this contribution came in the championship game of

the Coast Christmas Classic against Cerritos, where Tomlinson wasn’t

finding the mark early.

Instead of forcing up shots, Tomlinson made adjustments to fit what

was needed for the Pirates.

“She realized that Sarah Middlebrooke had the hot hand so Erin kept on

feeding it to her,” Thornton said. “Her overall play really helped us win

that tournament.”

Middlebrooke finished with 26 points and the Pirates won, 77-68.

In the three games of the tournament, Tomlinson averaged 10 points, 10

rebounds and five assists per game earning an all-tournament selection.

Currently, Tomlinson is averaging 12 points, seven rebounds, four

assists and two steals a game, leading the Pirates to a 16-1 record.

“This is one of the smartest teams I’ve ever coached and Erin is one

of the smartest players on this team,” Thornton said. “She’s someone

that’s never satisfied with her game and will continue to work hard in

order to improve it.”

Tomlinson grew up playing all kinds of sports, but started to play

more basketball in the second and third grades.

“My dad coached some of my teams and I always played with my brothers

and their friends,” Tomlinson said. “I basically grew up in the total

sports family.”

While playing for Stockdale High in Bakersfield, Tomlinson scored

1,400 points and was named the school’s Female Athlete of the Year her

senior year.

Coming to OCC and the solid women’s basketball tradition it has,

Tomlinson realized that she was among players equal to, or above, her

equal in talent and ability.

“It was difficult at first playing at this level with all these great

athletes,” Tomlinson said. “But I looked forward to the challenge. It’s

made me such a better player because of it. I don’t need to be the go-to

player for the team to win.”

As a freshman, Tomlinson shot over 40% from three-point range and her

351 points led the Pirates. But it was her play on the other side of the

game which led Tomlinson to be named as the team’s best defensive player.

“She’s a very well-balanced player,” Thornton said. “She has great

court sense and usually makes the right decisions out there.”

Thornton, however, would like to see Tomlinson work on patience and

vocal leadership as the season continues.

“Sometimes Erin does tend to try to do too much on the court,”

Thornton said. “I’ve been trying to teach her to relax and have fun out

there. Let the game come to her. She’s a great leader by action and we’re

working on her to become more vocal as well.”

Out of all the different ways Tomlinson contributes to the Pirates’

success, which does she take the most pride in?

“My passing,” she said. “If my teammates are open, I’ll do everything

I can to get the ball to them. That’s what I enjoy the most.”

Tomlinson, an information system major at OCC, looks to play at the

next level, something that her and her coach thinks she can do.

“I would love to play for a school that could use a player like me and

to play at a school that I would enjoy getting an education at,”

Tomlinson said. “Preferably, I would like to stay in Southern California,

but I’m keeping my mind open to all suggestions.”

Thornton sees the potential as well.

“I think she can definitely play at the Division I level,” he said. “I

just want her to go to the best program for her. Somewhere that she can

play and contribute to whoever she plays for.”