The Pasadena City College women's basketball team has kept its competitive edge thus far in the 2023-24 season with a number of different players stepping up to deliver key performances in helping the squad reach an 11-6 record in pre-conference play.
Ranked #21 in the State Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Lancers are #11 in the SoCal Region RPI that help determine postseason playoff seedings. They will continue to stay high likely in that RPI as PCC hosts #16-ranked Long Beach City College, #5 in the state RPI, #3 regionally on Friday, Jan. 12. Tip-off for that game is 7 p.m. at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
PCC doesn't begin South Coast Conference North Division play until Wednesday, Jan. 24 when they face visiting East Los Angeles. The Lancers will benefit strongly from having two conference games against the state's #2 Ranked and #1 RPI Mt. San Antonio on Jan. 31 and February 16.
The team's starting five have all been recognized as all-tournament players as sophomore transfer guard Vanessa Epperson earned that honor at the San Jose Lady Jaguar Tournament on Dec. 28-30. PCC captured the consolation title (fifth place) of the 8-team tourney as the team finished 2-1 at the annual Northern California event.
Epperson totaled 19 points (8-for-10 at the free throw line) with six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a close 62-61 loss to Mission during the SJCC tourney opener. Mission led 10-0 to begin the contest before PCC pulled ahead at 25-23. The lead changed hands 14 times as Lamia Daley swished a corner 3-pointer for a 53-50 Lancers lead in the fourth quarter.
In the final minute, Epperson made a basket-and-one to tie it at 60-60, but Mission scored the winning bucket it on a bank shot by Lali Montesino with 20 seconds left. For PCC, Antuanae Garrett added 17 points and nine rebounds, Abigail Saville chipped in 13 points and nine boards while Daley tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and made four steals.
In the consolation semifinals, PCC downed Merced, 61-45, behind 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists by Garrett and 15 points, 12 boards and five assists from Daley. Epperson scored 11 points and added eight rebounds while both Saville (six points, 11 boards) and Crystal Smith (10 boards) each were in double figures in rebounds. Jessica Lopez scored four points and played strong defense off the bench.
The Lancers led 27-19 at halftime, then broke the game open by outscoring Merced, 18-4, in the third quarter. Garrett dropped in 3-pointer that allowed PCC to double the score on the Blue Devils, 43-21, in that period.
In the consolatioin final, Garrett poured in a team season-high 32 points with 11 rebounds, six assists and six steals as the Lancers routed Saddleback, 77-49. Garrett made seven consecutive field goals and finished 50 percent from the floor (13-for-26). Epperson added 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and seven steals.
Saville contributed 13 points and eight boards while Daley contributed nine points, nine rebounds and dished out seven assists. Lopez had three of the team's 23 steals, matching the team's season best in takeaways.
"We got some tough referee calls against us against Mission or we might have been in that championship side of the bracket," said PCC head coach Joe Peron. "I really liked how we battled back in that game, then took over the play in the two wins. We got through a rough patch from the previous tournament, but we also were playing against three top-ranked teams. Overall, I think the team has jelled well and we're becoming a tougher team to play against for opponents."
The team finished 0-3 at the Moorpark Tommy Arellano North-South Challenge, but held its own in losses to #13 Chabot, 65-62, #4 Moorpark, 71-54, and #6 Fresno City, 93-81.
Against Chabot, Epperson made a trey for a 56-54 Lancers lead early in the fourth quarter. A Saville layup cut it to 63-62 with two minutes left, but the Gladiators held on for their win. Garrett scored 24 points in the defeat. Garrett's 23 points and 11 rebounds weren't enough in the loss to Moorpark.
In the Fresno defeat, Daley scored 31 points with 13 rebounds and Saville added 22 points. FCC held a 58-31 halftime lead, but PCC was able to cut the deficit to nine points before the Rams closed it out. PCC was hurt by eight 3-pointers and 26 points by Fresno's Corin Camera.
Garrett is ninth in the state in steals per game at 3.7, and tied for 16th in assists with a 4.5 average. Nicknamed "Twin," she also leads the team in both points (17.4) and rebounds averages (9.4).
