UC Santa Cruz Athletics – Kaylee Murphy

By Ray Hamill — Several former H-DN players are enjoying big winters on the college basketball courts, including one who recently enjoyed another milestone achievement.

Former Eureka Logger Kaylee Murphy, who is the all-time leading rebounder at UC Santa Cruz, is showing no signs of slowing down and recently surpassed 1,000 career rebounds.

The 2018 Eureka High graduate has been an ever-present for the 15-4 Santa Cruz women this season and set the milestone mark in a recent win over Pacific Union.

Murphy is averaging a double-double for the Banana Slugs, with 11.3 points a game and a team-leading 10.8 rebounds.

She has 12 double-doubles in 18 appearances this season and also has a team-best 15 blocks.

At Lewis & Clark, meanwhile, former Fortuna Husky Charlotte Carroll is also averaging a double-double.

While her team has struggled in terms of wins and losses, the Pioneers junior forward is averaging 11.6 points and a team-leading 10.1 boards.

The 2020 Fortuna graduate, who was a league MVP as a high school senior, has started all 19 games this season for the 2-17 Lewis & Clark women.

Former College of the Redwoods standout Ashley Quigley has found a new home at Eastern Nazarene in Massachusetts.

The Arcata High graduate, who was a two-time all-state selection with the Corsairs, enjoyed one of her best games of the season against Mitchell College over the weekend, scoring a season-high 19 points in an 85-79 overtime loss after scoring the tying basket at the end of regulation.

Quigley, who began the season playing at Arizona Christian, debuted with Eastern Nazarene on New Years Eve and has started six straight games for the Lions.

She is averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 boards for the 8-13 Lions, who are a Division-III program.

Closer to home, former Del Norte Warrior Jadence Clifton has also adapted well to her new team.

Clifton transferred to the Academy of Arts from Cal Poly Humboldt this season and has had an immediate impact at the San Francisco school.

The former Del Norte Warrior is the only player on the team to start all 19 games and is second on the team with 12 points, including scoring a career-high 29 points against Hawaii Pacific last week.

She also is averaging 5.2 rebounds and has a team-high 62 assists on the season.

At the JC level, meanwhile, former McKinleyville Panther Victoria Claros has been on fire recently after scoring a season-high 21 points in back-to-back games for College of Marin.

Claros is averaging 9.8 points for the 13-9 Mariners, while her teammate and former Fortuna Husky Isobel Crosswhite is averaging a double-double with team-highs in points (12.2 a game) and rebounds (10.6).

Several local players are also playing for College of the Redwoods this season.

Fortuna’s Gracie Betts has been contributing all-around and is averaging 8.7 points, along with 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Another former Husky, Kendall Stewart, is averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds.

The Corsairs are 6-17 on the season.