ELAC women's basketball skids to two losses

MONTEREY PARK, CA — The No. 7-ranked East Los Angeles College women’s basketball team lost 77-53 to Pasadena City College earlier today after losing a title bid at Mt. SAC, 82-60, on Tuesday.

ELAC skids into third place from one game out of first in South Coast Conference North Division play.

“The other teams wanted the wins more,” said ELAC sophomore forward Jasmine Gates. “We lost our team chemistry this week, which is tearing us apart and it showed on the court. We will fix our temporary problems and get back on (track).”

Second place in the conference and a playoff bid is up for grabs between ELAC (19-8, 3-3), Pasadena (16-12, 4-3) and L.A. Trade Tech (12-12, 3-3).

ELAC, however, controls its own destiny.

The Huskies will earn a playoff bid if they win out against El Camino-Compton Center (2-21, 0-7) in the South Gym on Wednesday and at Trade Tech on Friday. Both games begin at 5 p.m.

Against Pasadena, the first quarter had four lead changes and three ties, which ended with the Vikings leading 22-15.

ELAC had no answers for Pasadena’s big guns, sophomore Judith Espinoza who scored 19 points (13-of-17 from the line); and freshman Iliana Blanc and Ella Stepanian who scored 17 points apiece.

ELAC freshman forward Tiffani Martinez connected on six 3-point shots, three in the first quarter, and scored 19 points.

ELAC put up a valiant fight with some rallies, but Pasadena answered each one and outscored ELAC in each period.

The Huskies played a similar game at Mt. SAC. ELAC was only down 24-21 after the first period and Martinez connected on three 3-point shots, all clean swishes.

Mt. SAC outscored a cold-shooting ELAC 19-3 in the second period and led 43-24 at the half.

The Mounties continued to lead by double digits until a long ELAC rally brought the Huskies within eight points.

Sophomore guard Yasmin Tweedy (Virginia’s Manchester HS) scored a three-point play with 6:26 left in the game and the Huskies had new life, down 60-52. The ELAC fans drowned out the home crowd.

The Huskies ran with Mt. SAC in the final 6:26 instead of trying to win the game with the ELAC defense in control, which probably cost them the game. Mt. SAC out ran ELAC with a 22-8 run to close out the game.

“ELAC played with a lot of heart in the second half, but didn’t get the rebounds we should have,” said ELAC Head Coach Bruce Turner.

story submitted by Tadzio Garcia