COC NOTEBOOK: ROLE PLAYERS GAIN THE SPOTLIGHT AT COC BENCH STRENGTH CONTRIBUTES TO COUGARS SUCCESS.

Byline: Gideon Rubin  Staff Writer

VALENCIA - All 14 players on the College of the Canyons women's basketball team were starters in high school. And as is the case for many players at the community college level, adjusting to new roles - often less prominent ones - can be a humbling experience.

``For the kids who come off the bench, it can be a difficult transition,'' COC coach Greg Herrick said.

But COC's bench players have accepted their roles and have become big contributors.

The bench was a pivotal factor in COC's most recent victory, a 77-56 Western State Conference Southern Division win over West L.A. on Saturday - the Cougars 16th consecutive division win.

L'Tonya Robnett led the bench with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Iesha McDonald added 11 points. Rasheeda Gray had nine points, Ofalangi Mailangi had eight points, and Lisa Hawkins had several key rebounds down the stretch.

Earlier in the week, the Cougars' bench also played a big role in a 97-68 victory over Santa Monica.

``By now they're comfortable with their roles,'' Herrick said. ``They know that that's the way it is.''

Herrick has rewarded his nonstarters with significant playing time, and the players have responded, giving him the most production he has gotten from his bench since he began coaching the Cougars in 1992. All 14 players have played in the team's last 12 games.

The Cougars are 18-6 overall, 4-0 in conference.

--Idle hands: Vonetta Lanier, the team's leading scorer, had a standout defensive effort in the West L.A. game.

Lanier sacrificed her offensive game, to focus on her defensive assignment, Kameesha Bell, one of the WSC's top players. Bell, a physical forward who is considered a Division I prospect, was limited to 12 points.

Lanier keyed a defense that changed looks, denied Bell the ball, and then allowed her to get the ball and then trapped her.

``We went into the game with a plan, and our kids really embraced the concepts we gave them on Thursday and Friday,'' Herrick said. ``I think we confused them a little bit, and they never adjusted.

--Upcoming battle: The Cougars host Citrus College tonight at 7:30 - their first divisional home game of the season - and then have a bye Saturday.

COC visits Bakersfield - the only other unbeaten team in the Southern Division - on Jan. 24.

--Edwards excellent: Jerome Edwards, a 6-foot-4 sophomore center/forward, has given the men's team a formidable presence in the low post, and his standout play in the Cougars two most recent games - both victories - has catapulted COC into contention for a conference title.

Edwards scored 20 points and had 14 rebounds Saturday to lead the Cougars to a 63-60 WSC Southern Division victory over West L.A.

Earlier in the week, he scored eight points and had 14 rebounds in a 71-65 victory over Santa Monica.

The Cougars (7-15, 2-2) - winners of four of their past seven - will shoot for their third consecutive victory tonight when they host Citrus College at 5:30.