Costa Mesa, Calif. – In a highly anticipated rematch of last year's 3C2A State Championship, the Mt. SAC Women's Basketball Team showed once again why they're among the state's elite. The Mounties powered past Orange Coast College, 70–58, on Thursday, November 13, improving to a perfect 5-0 on the season while the Pirates drop to 3-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Mounties wasted no time making their presence felt. Leiayjah Mills kicked things off with a free throw and a three-pointer, while Taliyah McFerson and Elizabeth Udeze added quick layups to spark an early run. Orange Coast responded with baskets from Andrea Rico, McKenzie Gillman, and Serina Patel to keep the game tight. The first quarter finished with back-to-back scores from Dylan Tse, followed by one from OCC's Nicole Uballe, giving Mt. SAC a narrow 13–12 lead heading into the second.

The second quarter saw both teams trading blows -  but once Tierra Taylor tied the game with a pair of free throws and followed up with a go-ahead layup, the Mounties took control and never gave it back. Capitalizing on Pirate turnovers, Mt. SAC turned defense into offense and closed the half ahead, 33–28.

After a tough outing the night before and a scoreless first half, Naomi Acuna exploded in the third quarter. She tallied 11 points, including three three-pointers, igniting the Mounties' offense. Contributions from Udeze, McFerson, and Janessa Rodriguez rounded out a dominant 21-point quarter. Mt. SAC stretched its lead to 54–42 heading into the final frame.

Orange Coast continued to battle in the fourth, but the Mounties' firepower was too much to overcome. Zion Belcher-Arill scored her first basket of the game, Taylor drained a three, and Acuna stayed red-hot with another layup and two more shots from deep. Despite Joseph, Mercado, and Patel contributing five points each for OCC, Mt. SAC closed out the game with confidence, sealing the 70–58 victory.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Naomi Acuna: 18 points (game-high), 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
• Tierra Taylor: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
• Elizabeth Udeze: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals
• McKenzie Gillman (OCC): 14 points, 3 rebounds
• Melaiah Joseph (OCC): 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

NEXT UP:

The Mounties return home to host Mt. San Jacinto (2-1) on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:00 PM.

Let's keep the momentum rolling, Mounties!

STAY CONNECTED:

Follow Mt. SAC Women's Basketball on Twitter @MtSAC_WBKB or Instagram /mt.sacwbk/

Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics Instagram /mtsac_athletics/ or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics

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