Another Missed Opportunity, Women's Basketball Season Ends

A season that started with promise, high expectations and early success came to a sudden end Friday as the South No. 10 seed and state #14 ranked Pasadena City College women's basketball team couldn't generate enough offense and lost to #7 seed/8th-ranked host Mt. San Jacinto, 58-47, in the second round of the SoCal Regionals.

The Lancers, who had won 10 of their first 11 games, finished the 2019-2020 season at 18-9 overall. Mt. San Jacinto kept its 26-game winning streak going in advancing to Round 3 at 27-2.

PCC's dynamic duo of All-State First Team and South Coast Conference North Division MVP Dariel Johnson and All-State Third Team point guard Cosette Balmy were neutralized and combined for just 14 of PCC's points. Balmy, who played only 23 minutes, sat most of the third quarter due to foul trouble and eventually fouled out with four minutes left. Johnson didn't shoot enough, taking only seven shots from the floor.

In fact, Balmy (a 3-pointer) and Johnson (a put-back) each were limited to one field goal a piece. Balmy totaled eight points and seven rebounds while Johnson scored just six points with 14 rebounds, five blocks and four steals as her defensive game was top notch as usual.

Despite the lack of offense from the pair, the Lancers went on an 11-1 run to take their only lead of the game at 43-41 to open the fourth quarter on two free throws by Johnson. PCC had trailed by as much as nine during the first half and was down 40-32 late in the third quarter. Lizette Espinoza came off the bench to drill a corner trey that tied it at 41-41 go end the third period. 

Pasadena's early fourth-quarter lead was short-lived as Mt. San Jacinto's Haylei Jannsens, who led all scorers with 18 points, drained her fourth 3-pointer of the contest with 7:42 left. The Eagles would go on to outscore Pasadena, 17-6, in the final quarter. Espinoza sank another 3 with 3:43 remaining that did cut the MSJC lead to 51-47. The Eagles made free throws the rest of the way to put it out of reach.

While neither team shot well from the field (both under 24 percent), MSJC made six 3s compared to only three by PCC. The Eagles' Deja Blue hit 10 of 19 free throws and added 10 rebounds in finishing with 16 points. Pasadena did have a tremendous night at the free throw line, making 14 of 16 (87.5 percent), the highest free throw percentage ever by a Lancers team in a playoff game. Balmy and Merina Latu (nine points) each were 5-for-6 from the stripe and Johnson converted on all four of her free throws. 

PCC's best player arguably was frosh backup guard Kaniya Hill, who led the team with 10 points, making five of the team's 15 total field goals. Hill added four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore forward Zaira Velasquez added four points as did starting forward Kristal Espinoza (and four boards, four steals). Lizette Espinoza, no relation to Kristal but the younger sister of assistant coach and former playing wizard Judith Espinoza, showed some of the clutch play that her older sibling displayed as a Lancer with her six points (2-for-3 from long range). 

"From the way we were seeded to a long drive to get to Mt. San Jacinto, things just never really went our way," said PCC head coach Joe Peron. "We finally caught them in the fourth quarter, but it was as if that never happened either because we couldn't make shots the rest of the way. We had a chance to win the SCC title and let that slip away in the last minute against Mt. SAC, and I thought maybe we could go far in the postseason because we certainly had the talent to do so. Unfortunately, Mt. San Jacinto played a little better than us in that fourth quarter."

Peron's record fell to 37-22 in all playoff games. His teams have made the postseason 23 out of 24 years that he's directed the Lancers program. 

Johnson finished her Lancers career 13th on the school's all-time scoring list (795 points) and is both the career all-time leader in rebounds (862) and blocked shots (223). Balmy finished with 715 career points, placing her 22nd on the all-time scoring list.