After 3-year delay, White arrives with a bang for SPSCC

Sometimes, persistence pays off. Just ask Dee Dee Horton.

Three years ago, Horton, as the women's basketball coach at South Puget Sound Community College, recruited Chelsey White. At 6 feet tall, White was a shooter, a defender and a rebounder.

Initially, White accepted the scholarship. Then, after missing almost her entire senior season at River Ridge with a blown knee, White backed out and turned down Horton's offer.

"She decided she'd just work, and she didn't go to school," Horton said.

Horton continued to recruit White, telling her the door was still open. And White always refused.

Then last summer, Horton got an unexpected phone call from White asking if she could play at SPSCC. Horton couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"She just wasn't ready to make that commitment right out of high school," Horton said. "Now, she is."

As a 21-year-old freshman, White has been the scorer, defender and rebounder Horton hoped she'd be. She has helped the Clippers to a 3-1 start going into Saturday's home opener against Linn-Benton College.

"She's been fantastic," Horton said. "She's made every practice. She's never late. She works hard. She's done everything we've asked."

In the gym and in the classroom. Horton checks grades and attendance throughout the semester.

"She's been stellar," Horton said. "Her goal should be a double-double."

White is just one of several feel-good stories about Horton's Clippers. Alicia Richardson, a 6-foot-tall sophomore forward, missed the first three games because she was attending a national leadership conference in Florida.

In her one game back, she's regained her starting spot and recently signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Mary University in North Dakota.

Then there's Marissa Magalei, a 5-7 freshman guard from Olympia High School, who has turned into a spark off the bench with her hustle and determined play on defense.

"She's our energizer," Horton said.

With 12 players on her roster, Horton has something she lacked last season — depth. She endured much of last season with six players.

"And you know what? These are great kids," Horton said. "This has been so much fun."

• ROOKIE RULES: Reese Baumann wasn't expected to start. He was a freshman.

But Baumann, an all-league pick in football as a senior at Tenino last year, ended up starting at defensive end at Bacone College, an NAIA school in Muskogee, Okla.

He earned honorable mention all-conference in the Central States Football League.

"I think some big schools missed out on Reese," said Joe Thrasher, Bacone's head football coach. "The best way to describe Baumann is to say he's a grinder. He's steady. He's always around making plays."

Baumann's potential grew during the season. That's because he grew a half-inch (he's 6-foot-5) and gained 30 pounds (he's 240 pounds).

Baumann earned his team's yearly Warrior Award, which goes to the player who best exemplifies character and morals.

Baumann, one of seven freshman starting, was a big reason why Bacone finished 7-4 this season.

"He's only going to get better," Thrasher said.

Baumann has become almost like an adopted son for the Thrasher family.

"He'll come over to our house and eat dinner," Thrasher said. "But that's what we do here. We have guys over all the time. We're a close team."

• LINTON WATCH: Jake Linton got something to go along with Saint Martin's upset win against Colorado State.

The Saints senior guard was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's player of the week. In wins against Colorado State and Cameron, he scored a combined 46 points with just two turnovers.

"Jake has played well all season," Saints coach Keith Cooper said. "He's done a great job of leading this team and instilling his competitiveness."

Linton was the third straight Saint to win the player of the week award.

Gail Wood can be reached at gwood@theolympian.com or 360-754-5443.