Women's Hoops Home Opener Not Pretty, But Pick Up Win

The Pasadena City College women's basketball team didn't shoot well in any of the three areas Thursday but neither did opponent Imperial Valley as the Lancers won their home opener, 59-44, on the first day of the PCC Round Robin Classic. The 6-team tourney continues Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10.

The Lancers improved to 3-0 on the young '18-19 season as Cosette Balmy scored 15 points and was one of the few to shoot reasonably well, making 9-for-12 from the free throw line. The point guard added nine rebounds and six steals. Letterman guard Jade Lin sank four 3-pointers off the bench for her 12 points. She was 4-for-10 on long-range attempts, but the rest of the team was 0-for-21 beyond the circle. 

PCC shot just 30.1 percent from the field, 12.9 on treys, and only 47.8 percent from the line (11-for-23, or without Balmy an awful 2-for-11). Imperial Valley could not figure out how to put the ball through the hoop either. The Arabs made only 17-for-70 from the field (24.3 percent) and were also under 50 percent at the line (8-for-21). Imperial Valley was paced by Deisny Salgado with 20 points and 19 rebounds. 

For Pasadena, center Dariel Johnson grabbed 19 boards as well to go with 10 points and four steals. Kailey Thai scored just four points but made six steals. Daniela Mendez had eight points, all in the first half. 

After a high-scoring first quarter with PCC taking a 24-17 lead, the two teams played sluggish, sloppy basketball the rest of the game. PCC built its lead to 53-31 after three quarters, then went cold with just six points in the final period. 

In the other two tourney games, College of the Sequoias routed College of the Desert, 89-32, and San Diego City downed Citrus, 61-54. 

Friday's lineup at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium has Citrus v. Imperial Valley at 3 p.m., Desert v. San Diego at 5 p.m. and the Lancers facing Sequoias at 7 p.m.