Posted: Dec 09, 2022

Just Four Teams In South, North Struggles As SCC Women's Basketball In Full Swing

Long Beach City College's Amanda Lopez (12) has helped the Vikings to a 7-4 start this season.

Things didn't start well for the 2022-2023 South Coast Conference women's basketball season when it was learned that both Compton and LA Southwest Colleges were not going to field teams this season. While the South Division had to scramble to re-make its conference schedule with just four teams, the North Division figured at least it would get back to its pre-pandemic standards as SoCal's strongest conference.

Instead, the North has already seen a mystifying drop in winning percentage with a combined current, non-conference record of just 21-29 (.420). Two-time defending SCC North champ Mt. San Antonio was below .500 with a 4-5 record through games played Dec. 8.

The Mounties were ranked #14 in the State Top 20 poll after being a state quarterfinalist and a South #1 playoff seed last season. The team's record is a bit misleading as they have lost to state #1 Palomar, 56-53, #2 Butte, 71-47, #4 Orange Coast, 60-52, and #13 San Joaquin Delta. Mt. SAC has a win over SoCal #15 Canyons, but on Thursday blew a 16-point, fourth quarter lead and lost, 60-59, on a last-second basket v. SoCal #10 Cypress.

Mt. SAC is paced by Kamesha Moore, who is averaging a division-leading 17.7 points a game, leads the whole SCC in free throw shooting (89.7 percent), third in assists (4.2 average), and fifth in steals (4.0).

The only other ranked team in the SCC is another two-time champ in the South's Long Beach City College, currently ranked state #10 and carrying a 7-4 record. The Vikings have also played a tough pre-conference schedule, losing to Palomar, 93-89, and Butte, 86-61, and falling in two contests v. #8 Ventura. LBCC has a win over #15 Moorpark and posted what is believed to be a school record for largest margin of victory and most points scored in a 140-24 rout over San Bernardino Valley.

Long Beach's Aailyah Carter performed a triple-double in that win on 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 steals. The Vikings outscored the hapless Wolverines, 44-0, in the third quarter. Carter is among the entire South Coast stat leaders in points per game (17.3), rebounds (11.6, second in SCC), field goal percentage (second, .525), and steals (3.7). Last year's division Tri-MVP Amanda Lopez is another threat as she leads the state in assists (7.4 per game) while averaging 16.6 points and 7 rebounds.

The South Division's LA Harbor is off to a strong start at 9-4, including an 8-game win streak. The Seahawks are led by the third-leading scorer in the state in Jada Turner, the daughter of head coach Albert Turner. Scoring at a 27.8 points average, Turner, a tri-SCC South MVP as a freshman, poured in 40 points in a 68-66 win over Southwestern on Nov. 28.

Cerritos is 5-6 with Bridgette McIntyre leading the Falcons at 15.3 points per game. El Camino (2-7) has the second-leading scorer in the entire SCC in Brandy Castaneda, a returning All-Conference First Teamer, averaging 18.8 points. The four South teams will play each other three times each for a 9-game, division schedule to determine the champion.

Back to the North, Rio Hondo (6-5) has losses to Butte, #12 Irvine Valley (58-51), and #19 Riverside (88-84, overtime). The Roadrunners return last year's SCC North Freshman of the Year in all-around performer Rosalie Avalos, averaging 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.3 assists (the latter are both fourth in the SCC).

Pasadena City missed the postseason for the first time in 20 years last season and is determined to return to the playoffs, now at 6-5. The Lancers have the state's third-leading rebounder in transfer Tena Ikidi, who is pulling down 15.2 boards (tops SCC players), scoring 13.5 points and blocking 2.1 shots (leads SCC) a game. PCC were outplayed in losses v. #3 Sequoias and Irvine Valley.

LA Trade-Tech (4-6) is scuffling despite boasting three of the top 10 scorers in the conference, led by Amit Lustagarten at 17.3 points average. The Beavers have some lopsided losses v. the state's top teams in Palomar, #3 Sequoias, Orange Coast, and #6 City College of San Francisco.

The biggest surprise of the season is the drop in play of East Los Angeles, a No. 6 playoff seed last season and a team that made it to several recent state tournament fields. The Huskies (1-8) beat Chaffey in the season opener, but have lost an incredible eight games in a row. ELAC suffered half of those defeats v. State Top 20 teams. Gabrielle Quintana has impressed with a 17-point scoring average as the Huskies look to bounce back in the next few tournaments before the new year.

Release by Robert Lewis, SCC SID