There are some familiar storylines when it comes to St. Joseph senior Avary Cain.
Once again, the 6-foot-1 shooting guard is the Times Girls All-Area Basketball MVP, this time for 2024. For the fourth consecutive year, the UCLA signee led the Knights in scoring, this time at 21.5 points a game.
Cain, a ball-hawker on defense, also was tied for first on the team, with sophomore guard Annalyssa Cota, in steals at 3.2 per game. She was second on the squad in rebounds, averaging 6.5 an outing. Maava Sat led the Knights in the rebounds department, averaging 7.3 a game.
For her high school career, Cain scored more than 2,000 points for St. Joseph.
She has played her last high school basketball game. Now, Cain's days as a high schooler are dwindling too.
"It feels like just yesterday that I was a freshman," Cain said.
Cain's high school career is likely at least as decorated as any player who has worn a St. Joseph basketball uniform.
Her freshman season actually provided Cain with her fondest St. Joseph basketball memory. "I think definitely the most exciting time for me was when we won a CIF (Central Section) championship when I was a freshman," she said.
Under then-coach Analise Riezebos, St. Joseph beat Fresno Roosevelt 53-45 for the 2021 Division 3 championship. Cain led the Knights to the D3 title with 15 points.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit high school athletic programs hard and, after a very late start to the high school basketball campaign that season, the Knights won the Division 3 championship in June.
Righetti High's Bree Luna (23) dribbles around St. Joseph's Avary Cain during a January game against St. Joseph High.
"I think it was definitely a big change for us, starting the season that late, but we definitely got into it as time went along," said Cain.
The 2020-21 St. Joseph team included center Candace Kpetikou, who was a sophomore then. Kpetikou, who eventually signed with Washington State, averaged 12.3 points and 14.7 rebounds a game for the Knights.
Point guard Kai Oani was a St. Joseph freshman that season, and she averaged 13.3 points a game for the Knights. Cain averaged 19.9. Sophomore Gifti Tefera also gave the Knights a solid contribution, averaging 8.4 points and 10.4 rebounds a game.
The Knights were moved up in classification after that season, to the Open Division for 2021-2022 and Division 1 for the past two seasons, and couldn't win another sectional title during Cain's time at St. Joseph. The Knights got to the Division 1 championship game last February, losing 45-41 to 12-time Division 1 champ Clovis North.
Oani is a childhood friend of Cain's. "We've been playing together since we were eight or nine," said Cain.
Oani broke three records en route to earning the game MVP award in Oani's South team's 93-79 win over the North in the 32nd annual Kiwanis Central Coast All-Star Basketball Spectacular at Hancock last Saturday night. Oani set the game mark for points (53), made field goals (19) and made 3-point shots (eight).
During Cain's time at St. Joseph, "I think my leadership skills have improved a lot," Cain said. "I think my teammates helped a lot with that. Hopefully, I can take that to UCLA.
"I think I have a chance to play right away there. I hope to play shooting guard there, but I'll play wherever they put me."
Cain said her club basketball days are over. She played club ball for Sports Academy, which is based in Thousand Oaks.
"I'll just train here until I leave for UCLA, which will probably be the last part of July," said Cain.   Â
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