LIVERMORE – Malik Jackson scored a team-high 21 points to help lead No. 5 seeded Las Positas College to an 86-76 win over No. 12 Porterville College in Round 2 of the Northern California Regional Playoffs on Thursday night at The Den.

The Hawks are just one win away from advancing to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships for the first time in program history. Standing in their way is No. 4 seed Columbia College, who Las Positas will face on Saturday (Mar. 5) in a Round 3 playoff game at 7 p.m. in Sonora.

Columbia edged No. 13 San Joaquin Delta College by a final score of 65-64 on Thursday in its second-round contest. The Claim Jumpers are 24-5 overall and got off to an impressive start of the 2021-22 season by winning its first 14 games. Columbia cooled off when it got to conference play, finishing third in the Central Valley Conference at 9-5.

Ticket prices for the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) postseason game at Columbia are $12 for general admission and $8 for all identified students, faculty, staff, senior citizens age 60 and over, and children under 12 years old.

Las Positas had to get by another Central Valley Conference member on Thursday. Porterville came out hot and pulled out to a 17-11 lead over the Hawks at the 13:28 mark in the first half.

But LPC rallied back to take a 43-35 lead into halftime and was able to build an 80-68 advantage late in the second half before holding on for the win.

Las Positas received 13 points and 8 rebounds from Jorren Edmonds while Dathan Satchell nailed 4 three-pointers on his was to 12 points. Jordahn Johnson poured in 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and Lee Jones, Jr. contributed 5 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.

The Hawks improved their all-time program-best record to 26-3 overall.