Walnut, Calif. – It was a night to remember inside the Mt. San Antonio College gym, as the women's basketball team closed out the regular season with an 89-55 win over Los Angeles Trade Tech College on Wednesday, February 18.

The night included celebration for sophomores, honoring the program's outgoing players, complete with flowers, balloons and framed jerseys. Adding to the celebration, standout Taliyah McFerson reached a historic milestone — scoring her 1,000th career point as a Mountie.

Mt. SAC improves to 27-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in South Coast Conference North Division play, while the Beavers fall to 18-9 overall and 3-4 in conference action.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

LA Trade Tech briefly grabbed its only lead of the night on an opening jumper from Niela Williams, but it didn't last long. McFerson answered with a layup, and Elizabeth Udeze followed with a pair of free throws to swing momentum back to the Mounties for good.

Udeze dominated from the start, scoring 10 points in the first quarter alone — outpacing the entire Beavers team — while adding four rebounds and five steals. Mt. SAC closed the opening period with a 20-6 advantage.

Udeze continued her stellar performance in the second period, adding 13 more points and three steals in the frame, while Dylan Tse knocked down a three-pointer and Naomi Acuna contributed six points and five rebounds. With McFerson managing early foul trouble, Armani Owens stepped up with five key points. Athieng Bol led the offense for the Beavers with seven points, but Mt. SAC was up 53-19 at the half.

Luckily the Mounties built such a strong lead in the first half because the second half was far more even, with both teams scoring 21 points in the third quarter and 15 in the fourth. Bol paced the Beavers with eight third-quarter points, while McFerson returned to the floor and helped steady the Mounties' offense.

The fourth quarter brought the moment everyone was waiting for. McFerson calmly knocked down four free throws to reach the 1,000-point milestone, as the crowd jumped for joy to celebrate the incredible accomplishment.

Thanks to their dominant first-half performance, the Mounties never felt threatened and secured the 89-55 victory to close out the regular season.

KEY PLAYERS:

• Elizabeth Udeze: Game-high 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 9 steals
• Taliyah McFerson: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
• Armani Owens: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
• Athieng Bol: Team-high 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

NEXT UP:

Mt. SAC now turns its attention to the 3C2A Regionals, beginning Wednesday, February 25. Bracket details and opponents will be announced next week. The Mounties are postseason ready!

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.