Women's Cagers Play For SCC North Title At Mt. SAC On Friday

The planets aligned Wednesday night for the Pasadena City College women's basketball team. The Lancers downed Los Angeles Trade Tech, 63-57, and learned at game's end that Mt. San Antonio had been routed by East Los Angeles, 68-50. That means the two teams are tied for first place, and sure enough will have a rare regular season finale where the South Coast Conference North Division championship is the ultimate prize when PCC plays at Mt. SAC on Friday, Feb. 21.

Tip-off for the SCC title game is 5 p.m. The Lancers are trying to win their first conference title in 13 years when they shared the crown with Mt. SAC in 2007. You have to go back to the previous century for the last outright PCC conference championship when it won the then East Division crown in 1999. Ironically, PCC has more years between conference titles than state titles as the 2008-09 Lancers won the CCCAA crown as a third-place team from the South Coast that season. 

The state #15-ranked Lancers (18-7 overall and 5-2 in SCC North games) once again relied on the high-powered performances of the dynamic sophomore duo of forward Dariel Johnson and point guard Cosette Balmy. Johnson scored 19 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, blocked six shots and made three steals while Balmy totaled 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Fellow letterman guard Merina Latu added 15 points while reserve center Teana DuBose gave the squad big cheers on Sophomore Night with a big put-back basket, five rebounds and a big block that saw the ball fly back toward center court. 

"A few games ago, we were just thinking about how we can get better to prepare for the regional playoffs," said PCC head coach Joe Peron. "Now, we have a chance to win the conference title and that's a pretty good carrot out there for us to snatch. The South Coast North is such a tough conference because all five teams can beat each other on any given night. No other conference in the state is that competitive. We expect to give Mt. SAC a battle."

The Mounties (20-7, 5-2) are ranked #8 in the state, but both teams are higher rated in state RPI. Mt. SAC is up to No. 5 (third in SoCal) and PCC at No. 9 (fifth in the region) in that category. 

Against Trade Tech (15-13, 2-6), the Lancers led 6-0, then 22-16 after one quarter. The Beavers cut the deficit to one, 32-31, by halftime. Johnson turned up her game a notch to open the third quarter. The 6-foot-2, All-State player scored the first three baskets of the quarter, capped on a bucket-and-one. An offensive rebound and field goal from Latu extended the lead to 10. 

In the fourth quarter, Trade Tech clawed back and cut it to 59-56 on a steal and layup by Janaiah Perkins-Jackson (game-high 27 points) with 1:30 remaining. Johnson, though, stopped the rally in its tracks with a short jumper in the post with 38 seconds left. 

Trade Tech had won the last two SCC North titles and Pasadena swept its season series, 2-0, v. the Beavers for the first time since 2015 when current assistant coach Judith Espinoza was playing for the Lancers. 

PCC wore its white and pink jerseys on Coaches v. Cancer Night at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium as all proceeds from the event are being donated to the American Cancer Society. The Lancers also celebrated their seven sophomores in a pre-game ceremony as is custom for the final regular season home game. Johnson, Balmy, Latu, DuBose, starting forward Zaira Velasquez, reserve center Alexandra Arreola, and guard Mya Rivera are PCC's sophomore group in 2019-2020.