The Pasadena City College women's basketball team split their four games at the 41st College of the Sequoias, Gilcrest Tournament last week to finish in sixth place at the 16-team event. The Lancers are 7-5 overall to open the 2017-18 season.
In the fifth place final on Dec. 3, PCC went down in a blaze of 3-point shots by Foothill in a 77-71 loss to the Owls. Katie Georgev came off the bench to sink six treys in just eight attempts for a team-high 18 points. In all the Owls made 16-for-26 from beyond the circle for an outstanding 61.5 percent accuracy. PCC only made four 3s as it's offense is more post-focused.
Celine Bolton-Ford scored 23 points (8-for-10 from the free throw line) and grabbed nine rebounds while Alisa Shinn totaled 18 points and seven boards. Mercy Odima had a double-double on 10 points and 11 rebounds. A Shinn jumper gave PCC an 18-15 lead with two minutes left in the first quarter. For the next six minutes, Foothill enjoyed a 19-5 scoring run to take a commanding 34-23 lead. The Lancers never caught up.
In the consolation semifinals on Dec. 2, the Lancers downed Antelope Valley, 63-58, in using the 3-point shot to their advantage. Bolton-Ford scored 22 points, including draining 3-for-3 on long-range baskets, while Merina Latu drilled five 3s as part of her 18 points. Shinn added 10 points and seven rebounds and point guard Samaiyah Abdullah added seven points, four rebounds and four assists. Deja Smith scored 25 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead AVC.
As late as four minutes left, the Marauders led 55-54, but Shinn made a layup with 3:45 remaining for a PCC lead. A Bolton-Ford jumper made it 59-55 as the Lancers hung on for the victory.
On Dec. 1, host Sequoias beat PCC for the second time this year, 71-62. A Jade Lin jumper gave the Lancers an early 18-9 lead. Undefeated COS chipped away and eventually took the lead at 29-28 with 2-and-half minutes left in the second quarter. The Giants would go up by as much as 13 points late in the third period, but PCC responded and tied it at 53-53 on a Latu trey. However, Michal Sasson and Isabella Jimenez each hit two 3s to regain Sequoias' lead and put the game away in the fourth quarter. Sasson scored 19 points (five 3s). For PCC, Bolton-Ford tallied 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals and Shinn scored 14 points while pulling down 15 rebounds. Odima added 10 points, six rebounds, four steals, and blocked two shots.
In the tourney opener, the Lancers doubled the score on Solano, 71-34. Odima led five players scoring in double digits on 14 points and grabbed 17 rebounds (plus three steals0. Shinn totaled 11 points and 10 boards with four assists, Abdullah 12 points and three steals, Bolton-Ford scored 12 points and made four steals while Latu had 11 points.
Pasadena next plays at the College of the Desert Winter Classic on Dec. 14-16. The Lancers open with a 3 p.m. game on Thursday, Dec. 14sssd