Women's Basketball Giant 3rd Quarter Leads To '23-24 Season-Opening Win

After playing an even first half, the Pasadena CCity College women's basketball team showed their explosiveness by scoring 32 points in the third quarter en route to winning the 2023-2024 season opener on Friday night. The Lancers downed Palo Verde, 76-64, to complete day 1 of the PCC Sisterhood of Champions Tournament at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.

Today, PCC will play Imperial Valley in the championship semifinals of the 3-day, 8-team tourney that continues Friday-Saturday, Nov. 3-4. 

PCC SISTERHOOD OF CHAMPIONS TOURNAMENT SCORES/SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 2 Results
College of the Canyons 75, San Bernardino Valley 48
Chaffey 48, Porterville 33
Imperial Valley 66, Santa Monica 48
PCC LANCERS 76, Palo Verde 64
Friday, Nov. 3 Schedule
Consolation Semifinals
Santa Monica v. Palo Verde, 10 a.m.
San Bernardino Valley v. Porterville, 12 noon
Championship Semifinals
Chaffey v. Canyons (at COC), 12 noon
Imperial Valley v. PCC LANCERS, 2 pm
Saturday, Nov. 4 Schedule
8 am--Losers of 2 Consolation Semis
10 am--Losers of 2 Championship Semis
12 noon--Winners of 2 Consolation Semis
2 pm--Winners of Championship Semis

LANCERS PREVIEW/RECAP OF SEASON-OPENER WIN

PCC has a brand new, 9-player roster that includes high energy talent that can push the ball up the floor offensively and force opponents into turnovers with tenacious defense.

The incoming freshmen class is hiighlighted by guard Lamia Daley and guard Abigail Saville. Daley, a talented shooter, comes to PCC from Brando High in Mississippi while Saville was an All-State Class 6A honorable mention as a senior at Rocky Mountain High in Fort Collins, Colorado. The pair came up with big collegiate debuts.

Daley shot 8-for-16 from the field, making three 3-pointers, to score 22 points. She scored half of the Lancers points in the first half as Palo Verde took a 31-30 lead. Daley, nicknamed "MJ," added five rebounds and three assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. 

At 5-foot-9, Saville keyed the team's wild third quarter by scoring 15 points, making all six of her shots, many off of Palo Verde turnovers. Her aggressive defense and strong play to the hoop was too much for PV. She finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Two veteran sophomore transfers also give PCC, rated #14 in the CCCWBCA Pre-Season Top 15 SoCal rankings, in 5-6 point guard Antuanae Garrett and 6-foot center Crystal Smith.

Garrett, nicknamed "Twin," is an outstanding passer, solid defender and can score as well. She played two seasons at NJCAA Southeastern Community College in Burlington, Iowa. Because she played in 2020-21, she was granted an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 waiver. Garrett was an Iowa Community College Athletic Conference All-Region Second Team selection in 2022. 

Garrett showed her experience by generating 15 points (six on free throws), eight rebounds, and team highs with six assists and six steals. Her defense also was big in the third quarter as PCC took a commanding 62-49 lead into the final period. 

Local product guard Kayla Faeldonea averaged better than 20 points a game at Blair High as she was named Pasadena Star-News All-Area Second Team. She started in her collegiate debut and while she did not score, she provided strong play on defense with two steals. She is expected to help with the team's long-range shooting. 

The PCC bench included another sophomore transfer in 5-4 guard Vanessa Epperson, who led Golden West College last season in scoring at 15.9 points per game, good enough for fourth in the Orange Empire Conference. She averaged 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She had a high of 39 points in a game v. Santa Monica. Epperson tallied three points, six boards, five steals, three assists and a block. It will only be a matter of time when she starts to become a scoring regular for the Lancers. Epperson played her prep ball at Bishop Alemany High.

Freshman guard Jordyn Finley stood out as well with four points and three steals. Finley played at Mojave High in North Las Vegas (Nevada). Other Lancers newcomers are guard Jessica Lopez (Rosemead High) and Salia Baligh (Alverno Heights Academy) who made a big splash off the floor when she was named a Rose Parade Princess earlier this year. Baligh is also hearing impaired and served as a team captain on her high school squad.