Women's Basketball Collects 2 More Wins To End Pre-Conference Play

A gutty 6-player, Pasadena City College women's basketball team put together two distinctly different type home wins this week in upping its record to 11-9 overall. The Lancers will finally begin the South Coast Conference, North Division schedule next Friday, Jan. 23 in hosting state #24-ranked Los Angeles Trade-Tech.

Under interim head coach Alexa Mirzaian, PCC has two players on the injured list, one in starting guard Ava Chang, but with just six available student-athletes in sophomores Monica Menzies, Celine Bolton-Ford, Paris Ngeam and reserve Kimberly Dominguez and two freshmenp--Kamora Fletcher and Kennedy Jackson--the sparse unit routed Cerritos, 72-43, on Wednesday, then used a late charge to get past a feisty El Camino, 52-42, on Friday night.

Against a Warriors team that played well above its 2-16 record, Pasadena struggled to beat the ECC zone after taking a 16-11 first-quarter lead. El Camino went ahead 34-32 after three periods before Menzies drilled a 3-pointer to regain the advantage to open the fourth quarter. 

El Camino cut it to 42-41 on a jumper by Morgan Jackson with 5:42 left. That would be the Warriors final basket as PCC scored the game's last 10 points, including a Ngeam layup and eight free throws by four different players.

Overall, Menzies scored a game-high 17 points, Fletcher added 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals, and Jackson contributed 10 points, nine boards, and six assists. Ngeam had six points, eight rebounds and three steals while Bolton-Ford grabbed 11 of her 20 rebounds (and five points) in the fourth quarter.

Against Cerritos, Fletcher was dominating as she netted 25 points (11 field goals), grabbed 16 boards with three steals and three assists. Jackson just missed a double-double on 17 points (three treys) and nine assists while Menzies had 12 points and five steals. Ngeam was solid defensively on four points, seven rebounds and three steals while Bolton-Ford blocked six shots, tallying eight points, eight rebounds and four helpers. Dominguez contributed six points and six rebounds.

PCC led 19-9 after one period and stretched it to 38-20 by halftime, ultimately going up by as much as 34 points early in the fourth quarter. 

"It's been tough with just one sub, but our veteran group has stepped up and both Kamora and Kennedy have been terrific as our freshmen," Mirzaian said. "El Camino played very well, but we didn't waver in that fourth quarter and our defense was at its best. We're very happy to have doubled the wins total of last season's team."

PCC won just five games last season as Mirzaian was an assistant coach for that squad. 

The Lancers embark now on the 8-game SCC North schedule, including two games against state #1 Mt. San Antonio.