Koko Lahanas
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Carondelet (Concord, California) |
| College | |
| Position | Forward |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Catherine "Koko" Lahanas is an American former basketball player. She played college basketball at Cal State Fullerton, where she led NCAA Division I women's basketball in scoring in 1994–95.
Early life[edit]
Born Catherine Lahanas, she goes by "Koko", a nickname given to her by her father.[1] Lahanas and her brother, Kiko were both swimmers. Koko ranked among the top eight 100-meter freestyle specialists in the nation in the 13-14 age group.[1] Her brother would become an All-American swimmer at California.[1]
High school[edit]
Koko and Kiko played street ball growing up, which led her to play basketball during her freshman year at Carondelet High School.[1] She spent her high school years torn between swimming and basketball, partaking in the former during her sophomore and junior years, but returning to the latter in her senior season.[1] She averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds per game in her senior year.[1]
College career[edit]
Still not ready to make a decision on which sport to fully pursue after high school, she opted to attend Diablo Valley College, where she swam. As the school did not have a basketball team, she was permitted to play for nearby Los Medanos College. For her play at Los Medanos, Lahanas was inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000.[2] Deborah Ayres coached in the same conference as Los Medanos, at Solano College from 1990 to 1992. Later, as Cal State Fullerton's head coach, she offered Lahanas a scholarship in 1993.[1]
During her senior season, Lahanas set numerous school records. On December 19, 1994, against Northern Arizona, she made a Fullerton-record 18 field goals.[3] She matched this mark with another 18 field goals made on January 8, 1995, this time against UNLV.[3]
On February 14, 1995, Lahanas scored 48 points in a 103–78 win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The scoring output set a school record.[4] It was Lahanas' second 40-point game of the season.[3] On February 26, Lahanas scored 31 as she led Fullerton to an upset win over UC Santa Barbara.[5]
Lahanas finished her senior season averaging 26.8 points per game (ppg), which led Division I women's basketball.[6][7] As a senior, she was named to the Big West Conference's women's basketball All-Tournament team, and was also a first-team All-Big West selection.[8][9]
Professional career[edit]
In January 1996, Lahanas signed to play for the Hobart Islanders of the Australian-based Women's National Basketball League.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Eubanks, Lon (December 22, 1994). "She's Making a Splash in Basketball". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "CCCWBCA Hall of Fame". California Community College Athletic Association. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Cal State Fullerton Women's Basketball – Individual Game Records". Cal State Fullerton Titans. March 6, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Titans' Lahanas Scores 48 Points, Sets School Mark". Los Angeles Times. February 15, 1995. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Eubanks, Lon (February 27, 1995). "COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Lahanas' 31 Helps Titans Upset UCSB". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "Our Story". Cal State Fullerton Titans. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "Division I Women's Basketball Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 21. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "Women's Basketball All-Tournament Team". Big West Conference. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "Women's Basketball All-Big West Team". Big West Conference. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Eubanks, Lon (January 26, 1996). "Ex-Titan Lahanas to Play in Australian League". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2023.