Crossroads Girls End Transition Season:

The year after winning the only CIF girls basketball championship in school history Crossroads has ended a less joyous but relatively successful season.The Roadrunners were moved up one division into tougher competition, and a new coaching staff arrived. Then Megan Baer, CIF Player of the Year in the Roadrunners’ division the previous season, went out with a knee injury.Crossroads finished second in its league, won its first-round playoff game, then was routed by No. 1-seed Pacific Hills in the second round, 83-28, Saturday night, February 21.The Roadrunners’ overall record was 14-9.Kevin Cormier, the head coach last season, was at La Salle High in Pasadena this season. Malik Abdul-Mansour arrived from New Roads to take over.“It was an adjustment for everyone,” said Abdul-Mansour. “I replaced a popular coach and brought some new ideas. Then, because of other commitments, the girls couldn’t make it to some practices.“I feel we did what we could under the circumstances. When Megan was injured, Shannon McQueen moved from power forward to point guard and did a nice job.”“We did well against some opponents but played several teams who had a group of seniors committed to earning a college basketball scholarship. That’s a different level of intensity.”Crossroads learned what it was up against in an early season loss to Windward and faced the same kind of challenge against talent-laden Pacific Hills.Unlike the powerhouse teams, Crossroads doesn’t stay together for organized off-season play. Several of the Crossroads players also play softball.But the Roadrunners earned a playoff berth and won their first-round game from Excelsior Education Center, 55-49. The game was played at Crossroads on February 19.If Baer can play next season, she’ll join Nadine Byers in the backcourt. But center Kristina Murray was a senior.