No. 10 Seed Women's Hoops Travel For SoCal Regional Playoff At #7 Saddleback

The Pasadena City College women's basketball team earned the No. 10 seed for the upcoming Southern California Regional Playoffs despite finishing in fourth place in the powerful South Coast Conference North Division. The Lancers (20-9) will travel to Mission VIejo for a regional second round contest at No. 7 Saddleback College on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

The Lancers were No. 18 in today's final regular season CCCSIA State Top 20 poll and are one of four teams from the SCC North that earned top 10 regional seeds. State No. 1-ranked Mt. San Antonio took the top seed and No. 2 East Los Angeles the second seed. Los Angeles Trade Tech, state No. 14-ranked, will also get to host a playoff game as the eighth seed.

PCC advanced to the postseason for the 16th straight season under head coach Joe Peron. The 21-year veteran has directed his teams to 20 playoff berths only missing in the 2000-2001 season. Peron's teams hold a 34-18 overall record in the playoffs. This will be the second meeting in the postseason against Saddleback as PCC defeated the Gauchos, 63-57, in a second round game at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium on March 3, 2004. The colleges haven't met on the women's basketball floor since Nov. 17, 2012 when the Lancers beat Saddleback, 72-49, to clinch the Saddleback Tournament title. 

Saddleback (21-9), ranked No. 16 in the state poll, finished in second place in the Orange Empire Conference. The Gauchos are led by Orange Empire Conference MVP and 6-foot forward Janae Omusi, who is averaging 19.9 points and 9.3 rebounds a game.

PCC is led by sophomore forward Ilianna Blanc, averaging 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds a game, and frosh center-forward Alisa Shinn (11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds). Center Kailyn Gideon averages 8 points and 9.4 rebounds and leads the state in blocked shots with 105 (3.8 average). 

Pasadena finished the regular season on a sour note as ELAC defeated the visiting Lancers, 78-49, on Friday night. Pasadena trailed only 34-33 at halftime but couldn't keep up the high-energy pace set by the hosts. Jolene Robinson led the team with just nine points while Shinn added eight points and 10 rebounds and Gideon had six points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. 

For 26-2 ELAC, it was led by Tiffani Martinez with 17 points, including five 3-point baskets. 

If PCC gets past Saddleback, it would likely face the No. 2 seed---East Los Angeles on Saturday, Mar. 4. The Huskies face Santa Ana in a second round game on Saturday.