If you want to know how strong the revamped South Coast Conference North Division is in comparison to the rest of the state, just look at the CCCWBCA Regional Pre-Season Top 15 Rankings. In a 6-team conference, five are ranked, including the No. 8 Pasadena City College women’s basketball team, and a sixth even received […]
If you want to know how strong the revamped South Coast Conference North Division is in comparison to the rest of the state, just look at the CCCWBCA Regional Pre-Season Top 15 Rankings. In a 6-team conference, five are ranked, including the No. 8 Pasadena City College women’s basketball team, and a sixth even received votes. The 2016 state championship game was an All-SCC North matchup with Mt. San Antonio rallying to beat East Los Angeles in the final.
PCC would like to find its way back into the state tournament after losing to rival ELAC in the third round of SoCal Regionals this past season. The Lancers had beaten the Huskies during conference play and realized how close they were to reaching the state tournament. PCC reached the state tourney in seven straight years from 2004-2010 and won the state title in 2009.
In the ’16-17 pre-season poll, defending state champ Mt. SAC was rated No.1, ELAC at No. 3, and both Chaffey and LA Trade Tech were tied at No. 14. Rio Hondo also happens to be part of the state’s mega conference. Perennially ranked teams Chaffey and Rio Hondo were relocated into the SCC North after the Foothill Conference was disbanded.
“Every conference game will be like a playoff game,” said PCC head coach Joe Peron, entering his 21st season in charge. “That’s a good thing from a challenge standpoint and it will prepare us for the postseason. We can only worry about ourselves and we feel that this year’s team has a strong blend of talent. It’s a steep road and we’ve prepared for it all.”
The ’16-17 Lancers are already off to a good start with a pair of victories at the Bakersfield Crossover Tournament on Nov. 3-4. PCC downed Antelope Valley, 76-55, and then host Bakersfield, 70-51.
The ’16-17 Lancers won’t have the graduated Judith Espinoza (now at Concordia University) running the offense, but they do have All-SCC First Team, 5-foot-11 sophomore forward Ilianna Blanc returning as well as letterman who started last year in 6-3 center Kailyn Gideon and 6-foot, guard-forward Jolene Robinson. Other lettermen are key reserve forward Patience Madayag, an improved shooting guard Bridget Phu, and from three years ago forward Kandace Payne has also returned to bolster a veteran squad.
Pasadena has brought in sophomore guard Jelissa Puckett, a transfer from NCAA Division III Fontbonne University who was an All-State performer at hometown Ladue Horton Watkins High (both schools in St. Louis, Mo.). Another redshirt sophomore transfer is 5-10 forward Julissa Aguirre, who played on an undefeated Western State Conference champion team at LA Valley College in 2013-14.
The incoming freshmen class is a good one, led by 6-3 center Alisa Shinn, who was the Glendale News-Press Girls Athlete of the Year for 2015-16 after leading Crescenta Valley High to the school’s first-ever CIF basketball championship. Shinn was the CIF Division 1-A Player of the Year as well as the Co-Pacific League Player of the Year as she averaged 18.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game.
Other newcomers are flashy guard Samaiyah Abdullah (from successful Castlemont High in Oakland), 5-11 center Raquel Jones (Maynard Jackson HS, Atlanta, Ga.), and redshirt freshman transfer guard Vanessa Zamora (Arleta High and from Santa Monica College).
“We have depth and size,” Peron said. “We have the tallest team we’ve ever had here and deepest forward-center group. Controlling the post is something that has become a big factor in recent seasons. We’ve been more of a running, guard-oriented team in the past and that can only take you so far.”
In the season-opening win over AVC, all five starters reached double digits in points led by Blanc with 14 points (plus eight rebounds and four assists). Gideon added 12 points and eight rebounds while Phu had 11 points, five assists and sank 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Robinson scored 11 with six boards and two steals, Puckett delivered 10 points and five rebounds. Shinn’s PCC debut off bench was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor for nine points and four rebounds.
Against Bakersfield, Blanc put on a show with 21 points and 13 rebounds and Gideon was a force with nine points, 15 rebound and four blocks. The team totaled 11 blocks as Robinson added 12 points, five rebounds, five blocks and made four steals. Puckett totaled 13 points and five assists and Shinn had another strong reserve effort with eight points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
On Nov. 10-12, PCC hosts the inaugural President’s Roundball Classic at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. The Lancers will open with a first round game on Thursday against College of the Desert at 8 p.m.
