Rarely does a player from a last-place team get the honors bestowed on Pasadena City College women's basketball freshman Lupe Vazquez. The shooting guard was named Most Valuable Player of the South Coast Conference North Division and selected to the 2021-22 All-State Second Team, as state/conference coaches showed the ultimate respect for her talents.
Vazquez became the first PCC player to lead the state in scoring as she averaged 27.8 points a game in 21 contests played. Vazquez joined a long list of PCC players who were named conference MVPs (see list below)-12 in SCC history. She is the third Lancer to receive the player of the year award in the past four seasons as Dariel Johnson won in 2020 and Alisa Shinn took the honor in 2018.
From Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High in Montebello, the 5-foot-8 Vazquez reached the program's 500-point club faster than any in PCC history. She produced six of the 12 highest-scoring games in Lancers history. Her high was 44 points, second-highest everat PCC, in a Dec. 2 win over MiraCosta.
"Opponents set their entire game plans to try to prevent Lupe the ball," said PCC head coach Joe Peron, elated over her honors. "There were times where it seemed like she wasn't getting into the scoring column, then by the time you looked at the scoresheet, she would have 30. Lupe does other things too. She hustles to get offensive and defensive rebounds, makes excellent passing choices and is a solid defender. We didn't have much of a bench, so she played more minutes in some games that if she had some rests, it would have added to her scoring totals. Still, she had an amazing season."
2022-LUPE VAZQUEZ, guard
2020-Dariel Johnson, center
2018-Alissa Shinn, center-forward
2011-Dominique Scott, center
2007-Jeanine Deno, guard-forward (Co-MVP)
2005-Dionne Pounds, guard (Co-MVP)
2004-Dionne Pounds, guard (Co-MVP)
2003-Ariel Towns, forward
2000-Tyrea Smith, forward
1999-Tiana Sanders, forward
1998-Jackie Sadler, forward
1993-Biljana Bosanac, guard-forward
*note--only Bosanac was not guided by PCC Coach Joe Peron