Mt. San Antonio, Long Beach Closing In On SCC Titles In Women's Hoops

State #10 Mt. San Antonio College, the frontrunners in the South Coast Conference North Division, and #15 Long Beach City, leading the SCC South, have proven to be the conference's top teams during this season's women's basketball play. 

The Mounties (18-7) are 5-0 to lead the SCC North, ahead of second place Rio Hondo (3-1). The Vikings (18-6) are 6-0 and can clinch as least a tie for the South title and the division's tiebreaker for highest seed with a win over El Camino on Feb. 10. 

Mt. SAC has won 12 of its last 13 games with its only blemish a SCC crossover loss to LBCC, 71-68, on Jan. 11. Jaden Sanderson scored Long Beach's final five points in the last 1:13 to notch the mild upset. 

The Mounties needed a last-second basket by Kamaria Piggee to beat East Los Angeles, 74-73, on Feb. 3. 

Rio Hondo (14-10) has four games remaining in division play and would have to win out to catch Mt. SAC. The Roadrunners face Mt. SAC on Friday, Feb. 10 after losing their first encounter, 54-39, to the Mounties back on Jan. 25.

For the second straight season, the South Coast Conference boasts the state's leading scorer in LA Harbor's Jada Turner, who is averaging 28.8 points per game. Turner also leads all players in field goals made (240), FGs attempted, free throws made (147), and FTs attempted. LA Trade-Tech's Alyssa Ke is the state leader in assists at 7.8 per contest and Long Beach's Amanda Lopez is right behind her in second at 7.7 helpers a game. 

LA Trade-Tech's Amit Lustagarten is second in the state in 3-point baskets (84) and tied for third in free throw accuracy (82.9 percent).

PCC's Tena Ikidi is third in rebounding at 15.7 boards a game and fifth in blocks per game at 2.4. Turner is fourth in steals average (4.1) while Rio Hondo's Rosalie Avalos is fifth (3.9). 

Release by Robert Lewis, SCC SID