several players clustered near the basket as a ball arcs toward the hoop. The players are wearing green and white or all-white uniforms. Two players in green and white (one of them number 30) are jumping with their arms up, contesting the shot against a player in all white. Other players are scattered on the court, watching the action. A scoreboard in the upper left corner shows the score as 3 to 0. The gym wall behind the players is blue with a large yellow and white logo that starts with "Co." The court has a polished, wooden floor.

The College of the Canyons hosted its 1st Annual Cougar Pride Fall Showcase Girls Basketball Tournament, bringing together high school teams from across Southern California for a weekend of competition and teamwork.

“We want to reach out into the community and offer high school girls teams an opportunity to play in the fall, spring, and summer outside of their season,” said Robin Hester, Coach for COC’s Girls’ Basketball Team.

Teams from the Santa Clarita Valley, Ventura, the San Fernando Valley, and even Bakersfield took part in the showcase. The goal: to help players gain real-game experience and grow as a team before the upcoming winter season.

“It gives each team an opportunity to work and practice in a game-like situation and against different teams, and different opponents, and they’re able to grow and improve as a team, and hopefully when the season comes in November, December, they’re ready to play and have a great year,” Hester said.

Coaches say the tournament provides athletes with a valuable experience and the chance to build team chemistry while competing against new opponents.

“Great experience, learning experience, getting better as a team, when they come from out of town, some team bonding and some time spending with each other,” Hester said.

The College of the Canyons Fall Showcase continues to highlight the passion and talent of high school girls’ basketball, helping local teams sharpen their skills ahead of the season.

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