MPC women's hoops

 Can you build a champion with local talent at the junior college level in women's basketball?
 MPC coach Wendy Bates believes you can.
 The veteran Lobos coach has a roster of 14 -- 12 of which played basketball within the county.
 Not only is this one of Bates' biggest rosters, but her deepest.
 Six players on the Lobos were members of The Herald's All-County basketball team, including 2013 MVP Darjhian Tennant, who prepped at North Salinas.
 The 5-foot-11 Tennant was a double-double machine last year for the Lobos.
 No one has improved more since her arrival than sharpshooter and returning leading scorer Felicia Villarruel, who is Soledad's all-time leading scorer.
 Former Salinas point guard Kyana Rivera runs an up-tempo attack that includes former high school teammate Daniela Villegas.
 Bates brought in instant offense in the flavor of North County grad Samantha Flores, who led the county in scoring last year at just under 18 points a game.
 She added muscle inside to compliment Tennant with King City product Savannah Valladarez and Pacific Grove grad Lili Dawkins.
 Bates brought in players with solid work ethics, former prep rivals willing to make sacrifices to strive for the same goal.