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CHS power forward leaves powerful mark on the court The Brandi Brown era has come to an end at Claremont High School. Yet the 17-year-old’s legacy on the basketball court will last a lifetime. The all-time Wolfpack girls basketball leading scorer and rebounder, Brandi’s 4-year stretch as Claremont’s power forward is one of the most successful runs of any female player in school history. Completing her best season at CHS, the 5-11 power forward averaged 24 points and 19 rebounds per contest. Opponents constantly struggled to contain Brandi as she constantly found ways to excel on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. “It’s not something that I have to think about—it’s more of something that I just do,” said Brandi about her approach on the court. “I really credit my success to God. Before I go onto the court I pray and [from there] put my focus on the game.” The CHS senior’s focus was evident in Claremont’s 61-27 domination of rival Upland on January 30, avenging an earlier 12-point defeat to the Highlanders. The game highlighted Brandi’s senior year, with the basketball standout recording 28 points, 35 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. “It was Upland,” she pointed out. “When we played them earlier in the season and we lost, that was a hard game. It was upsetting to lose to them and I took responsibility for the loss. But in the 2nd game, we were all pumped up and ready to play. The 2nd time, I was not going to let it be my fault.” Ironically, Brandi is a resident of Upland and attended Upland and Pomona schools before enrolling at CHS in 2005. According to the 17-year-old, her parents felt Claremont’s smaller size and the high school’s strong academic reputation was a good fit.
“She was a freshman who didn’t know how good she could be,” said CHS Coach Karen Rudolph, who coached Brandi for 3 seasons. “I had her in a freshman P.E. class and I thought she could be a pretty good basketball player. As a freshman, she had the potential to be the best high school player I’ve ever coached.” The sport Brandi had mixed feelings about became the same sport she thrived in. The power forward averaged 10.6 points and 9.1 rebounds in her freshman year. From there, her stats rose to 16.1 points and 12.8 rebounds during her sophomore season and increased to 18.2 points and 14.3 rebounds her junior year. During the course of her CHS career, Brandi has accumulated a wealth of accolades such as being named to the All-Baseline League team and various all-tournament teams. “She got strong, came to know the game better and got more confident,” Coach Rudolph said. “She has a knack for reading the ball off the glass and having great hands to coach it. Her timing is superb and she has tremendous natural ability.” CHS senior guard Christina Huma played alongside Brandi for 3 years. Sharing the leadership role with Brandi as a co-captain, Christina fondly recalled their time on the court together. “I feel honored playing with her because she is an incredible player,” Christina said. “Our team has done good and she has carried us all season. Over the years, we became more in sync and we developed that chemistry where if I passed to ball to her and it wasn’t a good pass, she would still catch it and score.” Brandi’s senior year was Brian Nehring’s first as the varsity girls basketball coach. Though CHS finished this season with a sub .500 record, Coach Nehring was quick to praise her efforts throughout the year. “I can't say enough about her as a leader on the court and as such a fine young lady,” said CHS varsity girls basketball coach Brian Nehring. “Despite our team challenges this year, Brandi rose above the adversity and led her team with pride and determination. These qualities speak volumes about her. We will miss her talent and leadership." Apart from basketball, Brandi has played volleyball for 2 years and is an ongoing member of the CHS Chamber Singers. The CHS senior has been singing since her youth. Still weighing her college options, Brandi prefers to attend a school on the east coast. She refers to her last 4 years at CHS as a growing process. “I’ve learned a lot as a person and as a basketball player, but definitely more as a person [at Claremont],” Brandi said. “You come in thinking you know who you are but then you get tested and that forces you to find yourself and know who you are so you don’t get caught up in things you shouldn’t.” Brandi appreciates the support of family and others throughout her high school tenure. “My parents and church family have been there for me,” she said. “They came to my games and would text me to show their support. I also appreciate Coach Rudolph and I plan to keep in contact with her because she was my first high school coach and she taught me a lot.”
—Landus Rigsby
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