Ridgewood junior named to 4A third team after leading team to region semifinals.
By JAMAL THALJI
Published May 21, 2003
Four Pasco County players earned all-state basketball honors this season.
Ridgewood junior point guard Crystal Ayers leads local selections, being named to the Class 4A third team, which is picked by Florida's sportswriters.
Joining her on the 4A team are honorable mention selections Lauren Bislick, Hudson's senior center, and Roshaunda Washington, Land O'Lakes junior guard.
Pasco junior point guard Alicia Badger earned honorable mention on the Class 3A team.
Ayers said after not making it last season, she wasn't sure what to expect this season.
"I was actually surprised," Ayers said. "I didn't even know if I would make it this year."
"I think it's great," Ridgewood coach Greg Bollinger said. "She's certainly deserving with the statistics she's put up since her freshman year and the way she led the team as far as she did (this season.)"
The 5-foot-6 Ayers has been named the Times Pasco County player of the year for consecutive seasons and received the same honors in the Sunshine Athletic Conference by the county's coaches. This season she led the Rams to a 25-4 record, conference and district titles and the playoffs, reaching the region semifinals.
She set a school record with a county-leading 148 assists and the single-game record with 11. The scoring title also was hers, after she averaged 15.3, shooting 51 percent from the field. She averaged a county-leading 6.2 steals and 2.7 rebounds.
Ayers has a busy offseason. Her AAU team, the Clearwater Green Wave, heads to a Cocoa Beach tournament this weekend. In June, Ridgewood will attend camps at Eckerd College and South Florida.
In August, Ayers has two elite individual camps: USF and USC, programs that have shown great interest in recruiting her.
The 5-11 Bislick carried Hudson, averaging a team-high 12.4 points and county-high 11.4 rebounds. She led the county in free throws, hitting 43 of 67 (.642), and she leaves with school career records in rebounds (859) and blocked shots (127), averaging 2.2 this season.
Washington, Land O'Lakes 5-6 scorer, helped the 19-9 Gators back to the playoffs and the region semifinals for the first time since 1998. She averaged a team-high 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. She also led Pasco County in steals, averaging 6.1 and finishing with 172.
Badger, Pasco's 5-3 floor leader, led the 19-7 Pirates back to the playoffs after a season's hiatus and led the team in scoring. At one point, her average was as high as 19.3.
Those selections come after three Pasco County teams earned postseason berths and won playoff openers: Land O'Lakes, Pasco and Ridgewood.
"I think it's great for Pasco County basketball, which doesn't get too much respect as a whole," said Goldie Ayers, Crystal's father. "I think they're bringing a lot of respect to the county."
