Former Big 5 MVPs impress in college playoff debuts

By barstoolfanatics on March 7, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Santa Barbara City College Athletics – Isis Poteet in action for the Vaqueros this season.

By Ray Hamill — Last year’s Big 5 co-MVPs in girls basketball have made a big splash in their first collegiate campaigns and one of them looks far from done just yet.

Former Eureka High teammates Isis Poteet and Kaitlin Giacone have wasted little time adapting to the college courts and each helped lead their teams to playoff victories.

Giacone, who was also the 2024 Humboldt Sports Big 5 Girls Athlete of the Year, is playing for College of the Sequoias, the No. 1 team in the state and the top seed in the NorCal playoff bracket.

The Giants received an opening-round bye and began their playoffs last weekend with a 98-57 win over Cabrillo.

Giacone posted a double-double in her college playoff debut, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

She also displayed a cool head by going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.

Giacone and the Giants will continue their playoff run on Saturday when they play No. 8 Fresno City State with a place in this year’s state Elite Eight on the line.

The 2024 Eureka graduate also has been named to the Central Valley All-Conference team after shooting a conference-leading 65.2 percent from the field this winter.

She averaged 9.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and was the sixth best offensive rebounder in the conference.

The Giants are 29-0 on the season.

Poteet has been equally impressive for the Santa Barbara City College women and was not only named to the Western State Conference – North All-Conference Team but also received second-team all-state honors.

The Vaqueros won their playoff opener nine days ago, beating Imperial Valley 57-52, but saw their season end with a second-round loss to Palomar last weekend, 79-61.

Poteet finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the playoff win, and added 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks against Palomar.

Poteet averaged 12.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in her freshman college campaign and helped lead the Vaqueros to a record of 22-7, their best season since 2010/11.