Huskies win 101-94 in SoCal Regionals
MONTEREY PARK, CA — The No. 6-seed East Los Angeles College women’s basketball team defeated the No. 11-seed Santa Ana College 101-94 in Round 2 of the CCCAA Women’s Basketball Southern Regional playoff bracket.
The 101 points scored is the most a Lady Huskies team has totaled since the 2013-14 season when ELAC scored more than 100 points three times, including a 107-71 victory at L.A. Harbor College.
With the win, ELAC (21-9) will host a SoCal Regional semifinal game against South Coast Conference North Division rival Pasadena City College (18-13) on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
No. 13-seed Pasadena (18-13) upset the No. 3-seed Ventura College (26-5) tonight, 72-65.
Santa Ana (17-12) scored seven seconds into the game when freshman guard Taylor Ivicevic (Pacifica HS) connected on two free throws. A seesaw game ensued; which included four lead changes.
ELAC took the lead after freshman guard Alissa Gomez (Roosevelt HS) grabbed a defensive rebound, ran across the court and scored in the paint on a layup for a 10-9 lead with 6:58 remaining in the first quarter.
ELAC scored a season-high 35 points in one period and led 35-23 after the first quarter.
Santa Ana tied the game at 41-all when Ivicevic connected on the first of two free throws with 2:50 remaining in the half. ELAC led 48-41 at the half.
ELAC outscored Santa Ana 30-19 in the third quarter and built its largest lead, 78-56, when freshman guard Breanne Cheatum (Canyon Springs HS) hit the second of two free throws with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.
ELAC kept double-digits leads in the fourth quarter until the final minute in which 10 fouls were called, six from Santa Ana and four from ELAC. Santa Ana rallied for a 13-8 run in the final 51 seconds.
ELAC freshman center Anastasia Tsybaeva (Burbank HS) had her strongest game of the season. She came off the bench, scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to complete a double double.
Four other Huskies scored in double digits. Freshman forward Tiffani Martinez scored 16 points, but was 5-for-23 from three-point land, something the Huskies need to work on if they want to defeat Pasadena.
Sophomore guard Yasmine Tweedy (Chesterfield, Virginia Manchester HS) and Gomez scored 14 points each for ELAC.
The Husky bench outscored Santa Ana’s 53-21, which included 13 points from sophomore forward Jessica Sanchez (Roosevelt HS).
The bench also added 12 points from freshman guard Kamara Smith (Carson HS), six from freshman forward Jasmine Leal and six from Cheatum.
Forward Jasmine Gates (Gahr HS) had eight rebounds for the Huskies.
Santa Ana freshman forward and Orange Empire Conference Most Valuable Player Blaysen Varnadoe also had a double double with 25 points and 17 rebounds.
In the rubber match against Pasadena, a win will advance the victor to the SoCal finals, the Elite 8. “We will have to share the ball more than we did tonight and play a good defensive game,” said ELAC Coach Bruce Turner.
Turner coached the Lady Huskies to the playoffs four out five seasons from 2011-12 to the present 2015-16, which includes a Final Four, an Elite 8 and the current Sweet 16 rounds.
ELAC and Pasadena have played to an even 5-5 since the 2011-12 season.
story submitted by Tadzio Garcia