Sports
Notebook: Oakville Girls Collect Postseason Awards
Oakville has several players honored by the Suburban West Conference. Plus, an update on Toraino Hellems.
Despite its second consecutive 10-15 season, the Oakville girls basketball team once again had several players honored by the Suburban West Conference.
Tigers senior guard Leslie DeGonia led the Tigers’ postseason honors by making the league’s first team. DeGonia capped her fine prep career by leading Oakville in scoring for the second straight season. She averaged 11.9 points and 2.3 steals per game.
Making the conference’s second team are seniors Julie Kernen and Audra Plassmeyer. Kernen averaged 7.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season. Plassmeyer, in her final season, averaged 6.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. She also made the all-defensive team.
Hellems Stepping up for Meramec
Former Oakville star Toraino Hellems is enjoying some March Madness in his first year at Meramec Community College.
Find out what's happening in Mehlville-Oakvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Hellems, a six-foot freshman guard, has helped the Magic to a 27-7 record as they prepare to continue postseason play and a possible national championship on Friday. Meramec is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division II poll. Hellems has played every game this season for the Magic, averaging 8.1 points per game.
One year ago, Hellems helped lead Oakville to the Class 5 state championship game. As a senior last season, he averaged 15.1 points and 5.5 assists per game as the Tigers finished with a record of 27-5.
Meramec is playing in the NJCAA Division II Championship after winning the Region 16 championship on March 5. The Magic defeated Florissant Valley Community College in the regional semifinals and then beat Penn Valley in the regional title game, 65-52.
Meramec lost to Phoenix College in its opening national tourney game, but bounced back to beat Central C.C. (Nebraska) on Tuesday, 78-77. The Magic play on Friday at 11 a.m. against an opponent to-be-determined.
(Have some local sports news, or story ideas? Please email Patch Sports Editor Brian Doolittle at briandoolittle@hotmail.com)
