Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Ashley Quigley

By Ray Hamill — Former Arcata Tiger Ashley Quigley has begun the new college basketball season in style and is averaging over 20 points a game for the College of the Redwoods women, who are off to a 5-3 start.

The CR sophomore guard, however, is far from the only local player to impress early in the season with several H-DNL players having an impact at the collegiate level, including two sets of teammates.

At Marin College, former McKinleyville Panthers Victoria Claros and Kayley Armstrong have started alongside each other in all seven games for the 1-6 Mariners.

Claros, a freshman guard, is second on the team in scoring (11.4 a game), rebounding (6.3) and assists (2.1), and she is a team captain, while Armstrong, a freshman forward, is third on the team in both scoring (6.7 points) and rebounding (5.1).

Both players had strong showings in a 71-61 loss to Mission on Tuesday night.

Claros finished with 15 points and Armstrong chipped in 13, both season highs, with the latter also pulling down 12 rebounds for a double-double.

Submitted photo – Victoria Claros in action for the Mariners.

Over in Redding, meanwhile, former Arcata and College of the Redwoods standout Breesia Northern and former Eureka Logger Kayla Bonomini are teammates at Simpson University.

Northern is enjoying a big season and has started seven of eight games for the 1-7 Red Hawks.

She is second on the team in scoring with 10.9 points a game and tied for the team lead with 17 assists.

Bonomini has seen plenty of action in seven of the eight games and has been one of the team’s most dangerous 3-point threats, shooting 44 percent from downtown, second best on the team.

Down at Santa Cruz, meanwhile, former Eureka Logger Kaylee Murphy has picked up this year just where she left off last season and has been outstanding through the early going for the 4-1 Banana Slugs.

Murphy is averaging a double-double with 12.4 rebounds and 12.0 points a game.

She also has team-highs this season in assists (25) and steals (13).

The 6-foot forward, who graduated Eureka in 2018, recently played against another former Eureka Logger, Bobbie Purify, when Santa Cruz beat William Jessup, 63-35.

Purify has been coming on strong for the William Jessup women, who are 4-5, and she has started the last two games.

The senior guard scored a season-high 10 points in a 57-26 win over Life Pacific on Saturday.

Submitted photo – Bella Vigil in action with the Roadrunners.

Up at Whitman College in Washington, meanwhile, former Arcata Tiger Kaylie McCracken continues to play a major role for the 5-0 Blues.

The senior forward has started all five games and is averaging 20 points and 9.2 rebounds, while scoring 23 or more in three of the five starts.

Down in San Luis Obispo, former McKinleyville Panther Isaac Puzz has played in all five games so far for the Cuesta College Cougars, who are off to a 2-3 start.

Puzz is averaging 11.4 minutes a game and scored a season-best 10 points in a recent win over West Hills.

At Butte College, 2021 Eureka High graduate Bella Vigil is enjoying life at the collegiate level and has seen plenty of action on a sophomore-heavy team as she adapts to more of a defensive role.

The Roadrunners are 5-3.

If you know of any former H-DNL players having an impact for their team at the collegiate level, please email us at humboldtsports1@gmail.com.