PC notebook: Unselfish Bravo helps lead Pirate women

Few basketball coaches have to ask their best player to shoot more. 

Strathmore High School girls basketball coach Richard Miranda knows exactly what Porterville College women’s basketball coach Dave Kavern is going through, when freshman Pirate Maribel Bravo steps on the floor.

Bravo is the quintessential team player. 

While she has the ability and skill set to score points and fill up the stat sheet, Bravo would rather share the workload.

The reigning Central Valley Conference Co-Player of the Week — who poured in a game-high 21 points, after connecting on 5-of-8 three-pointers against Merced — believes it’s better to give than to receive.

“I’d rather pass the ball,” said Bravo, a 5-10 forward.

“If I shoot too much, then my teammates won’t expect me to pass it to them. I want everyone to be involved. It makes our team better.”

Miranda was the first coach to recognize Bravo’s potential at an early age. As a longtime employee at Sunnyside Elementary, Miranda coached Maribel’s older siblings and knew the family well. 

“I remember watching Maribel in first and second grade. When most of the girls were on one side of the playground, Maribel just wanted to play sports,” Miranda said.

“But, she always wanted to play soccer. One day I saw her shoot a basketball. She had better shooting form and technique than older kids. I knew she had something special.”

Growing up in the small town of Plainview, Bravo (one of five children to Josefina and Raul) sharpened her shooting skills on a homemade basketball court made by her dad. 

“It was a pole, a piece of a wooden board, and a broken rim that we found,” said Bravo, who’s second on the team in scoring (9.2 points a game) and rebounds (5.3 a game).

“All of the kids from the neighborhood would come over and play — after school until it was dark outside. It was a dusty driveway, but it was also the only hoop we had in town.”

Several years later, Bravo ascended through the youth league ranks, and reunited with Miranda, who took over as Strathmore’s varsity coach.

“As a seventh grader, we had Maribel playing against high school players,” he said. “She started a few games as a freshman, and she was always our first player off the bench.”

In 2011, Bravo led the Spartans to an East Sequoia League championship and the Valley title game. She was a first team all-league selection in basketball and volleyball. 

Kavern was quick to recruit the player he calls “the best post player at PC in the last five or six years.”

“Maribel is very unselfish and a very positive person,” Kavern said.

“She sees the floor very well and is one of our best players against the press. She works hard — always in the gym early working on her shot. I wish she would shoot more in the game, because she has the green light.”

One day, Bravo hopes to become a teacher, coach, and work her way up to athletic director or principal — preferably in Strathmore. 

In the meantime, Bravo remains optimistic about the current season and what lies ahead.

“We are building a team, like my sophomore season at Strathmore when it was difficult to win a lot,” she said.

“We have a lot of players coming back next season, when we have a chance to be really good. Next year, we get the chance to show our teammates how to work hard.”

Miranda said it’s impossible to replace what Bravo meant to his program, and the PC Pirates are now the lucky ones.

“She’s like a coach on the floor,” Miranda said.

“Her leadership is what we’ve been missing. She doesn’t care about scoring. She just wants everyone to feel part of the team. That’s rare to find in a great player. Next year, I think she’s really going to blossom, and it will be interesting and fun to watch as she reaches for that next level.”

And when it comes to a scholarship, that’s one shot Bravo will definitely be ready to take.

“Absolutely,” she said. “I’ll play anywhere.”

Few basketball coaches have to ask their best player to shoot more. 

Strathmore High School girls basketball coach Richard Miranda knows exactly what Porterville College women’s basketball coach Dave Kavern is going through, when freshman Pirate Maribel Bravo steps on the floor.

Bravo is the quintessential team player. 

While she has the ability and skill set to score points and fill up the stat sheet, Bravo would rather share the workload.

The reigning Central Valley Conference Co-Player of the Week — who poured in a game-high 21 points, after connecting on 5-of-8 three-pointers against Merced — believes it’s better to give than to receive.

“I’d rather pass the ball,” said Bravo, a 5-10 forward.

“If I shoot too much, then my teammates won’t expect me to pass it to them. I want everyone to be involved. It makes our team better.”

Miranda was the first coach to recognize Bravo’s potential at an early age. As a longtime employee at Sunnyside Elementary, Miranda coached Maribel’s older siblings and knew the family well. 

“I remember watching Maribel in first and second grade. When most of the girls were on one side of the playground, Maribel just wanted to play sports,” Miranda said.

“But, she always wanted to play soccer. One day I saw her shoot a basketball. She had better shooting form and technique than older kids. I knew she had something special.”

Growing up in the small town of Plainview, Bravo (one of five children to Josefina and Raul) sharpened her shooting skills on a homemade basketball court made by her dad. 

“It was a pole, a piece of a wooden board, and a broken rim that we found,” said Bravo, who’s second on the team in scoring (9.2 points a game) and rebounds (5.3 a game).

“All of the kids from the neighborhood would come over and play — after school until it was dark outside. It was a dusty driveway, but it was also the only hoop we had in town.”

Several years later, Bravo ascended through the youth league ranks, and reunited with Miranda, who took over as Strathmore’s varsity coach.

“As a seventh grader, we had Maribel playing against high school players,” he said. “She started a few games as a freshman, and she was always our first player off the bench.”

In 2011, Bravo led the Spartans to an East Sequoia League championship and the Valley title game. She was a first team all-league selection in basketball and volleyball. 

Kavern was quick to recruit the player he calls “the best post player at PC in the last five or six years.”

“Maribel is very unselfish and a very positive person,” Kavern said.

“She sees the floor very well and is one of our best players against the press. She works hard — always in the gym early working on her shot. I wish she would shoot more in the game, because she has the green light.”

One day, Bravo hopes to become a teacher, coach, and work her way up to athletic director or principal — preferably in Strathmore. 

In the meantime, Bravo remains optimistic about the current season and what lies ahead.

“We are building a team, like my sophomore season at Strathmore when it was difficult to win a lot,” she said.

“We have a lot of players coming back next season, when we have a chance to be really good. Next year, we get the chance to show our teammates how to work hard.”

Miranda said it’s impossible to replace what Bravo meant to his program, and the PC Pirates are now the lucky ones.

“She’s like a coach on the floor,” Miranda said.

“Her leadership is what we’ve been missing. She doesn’t care about scoring. She just wants everyone to feel part of the team. That’s rare to find in a great player. Next year, I think she’s really going to blossom, and it will be interesting and fun to watch as she reaches for that next level.”

And when it comes to a scholarship, that’s one shot Bravo will definitely be ready to take.

“Absolutely,” she said. “I’ll play anywhere.”