No. 9 Santa Ana Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 24 LA Valley in Round 1 of Regionals

No. 9 Santa Ana Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 24 LA Valley in Round 1 of Regionals

SANTA ANA, Calif. - The Santa Ana College Women's Basketball team had its season come to an end in the first round of the 3C2A SoCal Regionals after falling to LA Valley (15-14) 46-42 on Wednesday night. 

SAC (20-9) came out hot, shooting 43.8 percent from the field and outscored the Monarchs 16-6 in the first quarter. But the Dons cooled off quickly, scoring just 7 in the 2nd as they struggled to break down LA Valley's zone defense. 

The Don shooting woes continued in the third (1-13 FGM-A), which helped the Monarchs take a three point lead at 31-28 going to the final quarter. 

With time running out, Santa Ana decided to put some pressure on LAVC in a couple of ways. They showed a full court press that forced a few turnovers while also making a concerted effort to get into the paint. Unfortunately, the Dons missed a few critical layups and the Monarchs made some clutch shots at the end to hold onto the lead. 

SAC had their second worse offensive output of the season, finishing with just 42 points and shooting 24.2 percent. 

In her final game with Santa Ana, sophomore point guard Larissa Robles posted a game high 16 points with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Anaya Beard joined her in double-digits with 11 and six boards while Mia Rivera and Kiki Graham combined for 15 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals. 

Although it didn't end the way they wanted it to, the Dons had a successful season with their first postseason appearance since the 2016-17 season. They'll have a chance to make it back next year as the majority of the roster is set to return.