Women’s Basketball advance to CCCAA So Cal Finals with 65-48 win over Allan Hancock

Photo Courtesy of DavesSportsImage
Photo Courtesy of DavesSportsImage

(Walnut, CA) A huge second quarter for the Mt. SAC Women's Basketball team led the Mounties to a convincing 65-48 win over visiting Allan Hancock College in a CCCAA Southern California Regional second-round game on Thursday night, March 3.

After the Mounties advanced to the 3C2A championships in 2020, with the season eventually canceled due to the pandemic, the 2022 playoffs are off and running for the eight-time state champions.

With the win, the No. 1 South Seed Mounties won their 17th consecutive game and will play No. 9 Long Beach (22-7), a 69-59 winner over Bakersfield, Saturday night. Game time is set for 7:00 pm.

"After 13 days off before the playoffs started, my girls came out and fought really hard and did a good job and I'm real proud of them," said Mt. SAC Women's Basketball coach Brian Crichlow, who recently received the South Coast Conference, North Division Coach of the Year award.

"We have to lay our hats on our defense and offensively we just need to find our groove."

Trailing, 14-13 after the first quarter and 20-15 at the 7:57 mark in the second, the Mounties turned it on and outscored the Bulldogs, 23-5 for a 13-point halftime lead (38-25) and never looked back.

Sparking that big run was a 3-pointer by Mounties leading scorer Mina Guevara-Goss (9-13 FGM-A, 3-6 3PM-A, 5 Stls.). Guevara-Goss eventually ended up with a season-high 22 points in the game.

"She (Guevara-Goss) said earlier in the day, 'I feel good about tonight,'" said Crichlow of his sophomore guard. "Just staying in her zone and defense got her going. She's been our best defender all year long.

"She got two or three steals early and that kind of takes the pressure off of her offensively and she got a couple of open shots and made them."

Her previous high (21 points) was in the first game of the year against San Diego City College.

"I think overall we won based on our team play and I feel that our freshmen really stepped up a lot," Guevara-Goss said. "Our defense is our game and it tires out the team a lot. We were able to build a lead and build on that.

"It feels good to be back (after the pandemic) and we're in this place for a reason. We got big things coming."

The freshman Guevara-Goss was talking about was guard Kamesha Moore (6-9 FGM-A, 3-3 FTM-A, 3 RB, 2 A, 3 Stls.) with 15 points.

Also, with a big game was sophomore guard Savanna Norfleet (4-10 FGM-A, 1-2 3PM-A, 7-8 FTM-A, 3 RB, 1 A, 2 Stls.).

Norfleet, who is from Chicago and had her mom and sister visiting, had 16 points in the game.

"It feels great," Norfleet said. "They came all the way from Chicago to see me and I think the support really helps.

"We knew (Hancock) were short players and our coach said to attack and draw the fouls and that's what kept us in the game early and we played great defense. We're going to state, no question.

"This program is historical and legendary."

The Mounties kept the pressure up in the second half and outscored Allan Hancock, 27-23 for the 17-point win.

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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.