Lady Huskies Defeat Irvine Valley, 75-62
MONTEREY PARK—The CCCAA Southern Regional No. 2-seed East Los Angeles College women's basketball team defeated No. 3-seed Irvine Valley College, 75-62, at the South Gym E-rena on March 4.
"The team received a lot of congratulations this past week for their benchmark, making a Southern Regional (appearance) for the first time in ELAC's history, which could have been pressure for the team, but it was not," said ELAC Head Coach Bruce Turner. "We have our own goals and haven't reached them yet."
Both teams played even throughout the game, defensive rebounds (ELAC, 25, Irvine 24), field goals made (ELAC 41.5 percent, Irvine 40.4), free throws made (ELAC's 72.0 percent to Irvine's 69.6), 3-point shots (ELAC 3, Irvine 4), and two blocked shots each.
A big difference in the game on offense was bench scoring (ELAC 25 points, Irvine 14) and defense with ELAC pulling down 17 rebounds off the offensive glass to Irvine's 10.
"It was a scrappy game for both teams with the Huskies' defense playing outstanding," said Turner.
Four Lady Huskies scored in double digits.
Freshmen guards Kyla Martin-Burnley of Etiwanda High School scored 24 points and Olivia Ochoa (LA Roosevelt HS) pumped in 12; ELAC forwards freshman Abigail Vasquez (LA Wilson HS) and sophomore Jocelyne Diaz (Whittier HS) scored 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Ochoa had six assists while freshman guard Dynasti Shelby (Inglewood HS) had five steals.
ELAC once again had no answer for Irvine sophomore center Breanna Turner (Perris Paloma Valley HS), who scored a team-high 23 points. Breanna Turner scored 21 points in the first meeting between the schools, a 66-65 ELAC overtime win in the Saddleback Lady Gaucho Classic on Nov. 21.
In that game Ochoa scored 25 points. Irvine double-teamed her this time around, which left holes for Burnley who took advantage of them.
Other standouts for the Huskies were Diaz and sophomore forward Guadalupe Perez (LA Garfield HS) who each muscled in for three offensive rebounds.
Irvine sophomore guard Karli Kato (Schurr HS) scored 11 points and connected on a two 3-point swishes beyond the arc. Teammate sophomore forward Conerie Brennan (Capistrano Valley HS) scored nine points and had team-high eight rebounds. Freshman guard Erika Mercado (Foothill HS) had six assists.
The Huskies, 29-3 overall, advance to the CCCAA State Championships. Irvine's season came to an end with a 27-4 record.
ELAC, the State Championship Southern two seed, will face the Northern No. 1-seed Chabot College (29-3) at Cerritos College with a 5 p.m. tipoff on Saturday March 14.
Southern No. 1-seed Mt. San Antonio College (33-0) will play Northern two seed San Joaquin Delta College (27-5) at 7 p.m.
In the Southern Regional, Mt. SAC defeated Palomar College, 60-54, to advance to its 10th consecutive State Championships.
In Northern Regional action, Chabot defeated Diablo Valley College (25-6), 69-66, while San Joaquin Delta defeated College of the Sequoias (29-4), 66-59.
By Tadzio Garcia - Sports Information Intern