Women's Basketball Takes Charge of Rematch v. Golden West

Back on Nov. 22 on the road, the Pasadena City College women's basketball team lost to Tuesday's opponent Golden West College, 60-51. PCC made sure their rematch would have a far different outcome.

The Lancers disrupted the Rustlers with a combination of pressure defense and a shutdown zone. Offensively, the Lancer used the shot clock more efficiently in making baskets off a number of set plays in routing the Rustlers, 61-36, at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. 

PCC improved to 7-5 overall while Golden West (11-3) lost for just the third time in 14 games. PCC made a 34-point turnaround from the first GWC meeting. 

Point guard Maiya Villanueva scored seven of her game-high 18 points in the opening quarter with her driving layup with three seconds left giving the Lancers an 18-7 lead. A second-quarter pushback by Golden West cut the advantage to 24-18 by halftime. 

In the third quarter, the Rustlers sliced the lead to two, 29-27, but the Lancers immedietely created an 11-0 run capped by a Villanueva layup. Forward Tena Ikidi banked in a short jumper at the third-quarter buzzer for a 42-30, PCC lead.

With 5:50 left in the third quarter, Golden West scored on a layup by Janelly Portillo. From that point on, the Lancers defense limited the Rustlers to only two field goals the rest of the game, both 3-point baskets by Sheridan Bivens. PCC outscored them, 32-9, during those final 16 minutes. 

In the previous meeting v. GWC, PCC scored just 11 field goals but this time it was the Rustlers who found scoring baskets from the floor a chore, also being held to 11 baskets. Top player Vanessa Epperson scored 22 points in the Nov. encounter but tallied just 10 points in this contest. 

"We did a better job on rotating our help defense and being deliberate and patient on our offense," said PCC head coach Joe Peron, who collected career victory #555 in his 26th season in charge of the program. 

After Villanueva's efforts, starting guard Sheridan Orange scored 10 points with three assists. She scored her four baskets on short baseline jumpers.

"That was her best game so far," Peron said. "She's been away from basketball for over a year, so she's just now getting back into a groove."

Ikidi added eight points, 14 rebounds, a team-high four assists and two blocked shots. Starting forward Atira Davis collected seven points while Bryannae Robinson (six points, six rebounds, two steals) and Naomi Turner (six points, two assists) were solid contributors from the bench. Another backup--center Tatiana Ayala--pulled down nine boards, blocked two shots and scored one basket. Defensively, starting forward Emily Trinh did her part with two steals to go with four points. 

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRIP

PCC played two games at Northern California schools from the Central Valley Conference on Dec. 7-8. The Lancers were first routed by state #3 College of the Sequoias, 80-42, but the damage was done in the fourth quarter. Pasadena trailed just 29-24 by halftime and were as close as 46-36 a minute into the fourth quarter. COS forced the Lancers into eight turnovers in the final period and poured it on in outscoring PCC, 34-8.

The next night, the Lancers rebounded with a 51-38 triumph at Porterville College. PCC trailed 16-7 early in the second quarter, but outscored the Pirates, 29-10, over the last 18 minutes of the middle quarters. 

Coming off the bench, letterman Turner tallied 13 points and made five steals and the sophomore Ayala had her best game of the season with eight points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Ikidi fought through foul trouble that left her on the bench for much of the first three quarters to score 11 points and grab 13 boards. Trinh scored eight points and Orange had four points and four assists. 

Winners of four of their last five games, the Lancers next play at the Tommy Arellano North-South Showcase hosted by Moorpark College on Dec. 15-16. PCC opens against Chabot, then faces state #1 Palomar on the second day.