By Pete Borello

Joe Hu/Town Crier Freshman shooting guard Jasmine Lowe “can absolutely take over a game,” according to Foothill coach Jody Craig.

When it comes to talking about her team, Foothill College women’s basketball coach Jody Craig is like a bad poker player. She can’t contain her excitement about the hand she holds.

The Owls are flush with talent, boasting perhaps the best class of recruits in Craig’s 11 years as coach. They have athletes, they have size and they have depth. Oh, and they have the intangibles as well.

“What I see is great athletes who are quick and aggressive,” she said. “But they also have a real competitive attitude that makes them a tough out. It’s going to be hard to beat us.”

They’ve been beaten twice already, but both losses came against higher-ranked teams. The Owls, ranked fifth in the state, fell to No. 4 Reedley and No. 1 Delta. They went into last weekend’s Ventura Tournament with three wins.

If Foothill has a weakness, it’s inexperience. The Owls return only three players, none of them starters, from a team that won its division last year. Ten of the 11 new players are freshmen.

But as Craig was quick to point out, Foothill is not rebuilding - it’s reloading.

“There’s so much promise with this group,” the coach said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on them, not with so many freshmen starting, but they’ll put pressure on themselves because they want to be so good.”

Jasmine Lowe is at the head of the freshman class. A super-quick shooting guard out of Mercy High in San Francisco, the 5-foot-7 Lowe opened the season by scoring 60 points over three games at the Merced Classic in mid-November. She was named to the all-tournament team.

Craig holds Lowe in high regard.

“She can absolutely take over a game. She’s already the top player in the league - no one in the league can touch her,” said the coach, whose team doesn’t begin Coast Conference North Division play until January. “She’s one of the top players we’ve had in the program.”

But Lowe is not alone in making Foothill’s backcourt its biggest strength. Fellow freshmen Leilani Martin (from Burlingame High), Chelsea Price (Washington High) and Jasmyne Samifua (Terra Nova High) are also making life miserable for opposing players and coaches alike.

“Our guard play is dominant right now - they’re phenomenal,” Craig said. “We’ve probably made more 3s in four games than we did in 20 games last year.”

Price, whose sister Mikail starred at Foothill for two seasons before moving on to the University of Nevada-Reno this year, drained four 3-pointers in the Owls’ win over Santa Rosa Nov. 14. Samifua is a long-range threat, too, and Craig ranks her among the team’s best recruits.

Martin starts at point guard, not an easy task for a freshman, though Craig is confident the 5-9 standout can handle it.

“She’s going to be huge for us,” the coach said.

Unlike recent years, Foothill has a formidable frontcourt as well. There’s not only size (three 6-footers) but skill.

Ashley Marshall “is probably our most versatile player,” Craig said, “She can go in the paint and hit the 3.” The 5-foot-9 freshman from Washington High is logging minutes at forward and guard.

Ashley Alipate adds experience up front as a transfer from San Jose State.

“She’s a lefty who’s confident and poised,” Craig said of the 5-foot-10 sophomore out of Aragon High. “She makes a big difference in the post position. I see her as a major player for us.”

Angel Garlepp is proving to be a major contributor, too. The 6-foot-1 freshman from Soquel High scored 13 points in a win over Santa Rosa in the Merced Classic.

Kayla Vantil, a 6-foot-1 freshman, is among the players bolstering the bench. She earned all-league honors at Mountain View High last season.

“I like the progress Kayla’s making and the direction she’s going in,” Craig said.

Although none of Foothill’s returning players start, Craig expects contributions from guards Sekeia Willis, Brittney Trujillo and Emily Kreutter.

“They all played roles on the team last year that have expanded this year,” the coach said.

Mitty High product Trujillo has been sidelined by a knee injury, though Craig hopes to have the sharpshooter back for league.

While winning the division title for the sixth year in a row certainly seems within the Owls’ grasp, they may be too young to go far in the playoffs. Just don’t tell them that.

“The team goals are lofty,” Craig said. “They want to make the Elite 8. That shows what kind of group they are.”

Foothill is scheduled to compete at the Shasta Invitational in Redding this weekend. The Owls’ next home game is set for Dec. 28 in the opening round of their inaugural Pepsi Holiday Classic. The three-day tournament will feature eight teams.