Women’s Basketball Upsets No. 6 Long Beach, Advances to SoCal Finals

After a commanding first half, the Riverside City College women's basketball team found themselves in a dogfight down the stretch against the No. 6 Long Beach City College Vikings in the second round of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Regional playoffs. The strong start aided the Tigers past the Vikings to reach their first Southern Regional finals since 2011.

It was a 2016, second round rematch for the Tigers as the Vikings ousted them by 11 points. The Tigers were out for blood and they performed at a high level.

An 11-point advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play helped the Tigers keep a pesky Viking offense at bay. The only lead Long Beach held in the first quarter was in the opening minute by a mere point. After that, the Tigers went on a 15-3 run to grab ahold of a sizable lead.

The streak started with sophomore forward Maxine Najera flushing a jumper, backed by freshman guard Ashley Smith burying a mid-range bucket. Freshman guard Mikayla Roberts followed a possession later by corralling a missed shot and knocking down her first triple of the game. Najera continued the streak with her second bucket, followed by a three-consecutive Riverside free throws. The first came off the hands of freshman center Janara Williams, while Roberts backed her with by a pair. The final basket was compliments of a layup from freshman guard N'Dya Parks leading to a 25-14 benefit.

From then on, it was shot for shot as the Vikings found their rhythm. Despite Long Beach catching fire, the Tigers continued to attack and stay true to their game plan. A stout defensive performance held the Vikings to an 0-for9 performance from distance as opposed to the Tiger's trio of triples. Furthermore, Riverside corralled eight more rebounds than the Vikings to prove their dominance down low.

The fourth quarter proved to be the deciding frame. A 10-0 run from the Long Beach in the final three minutes of the game put the Tigers in the debt by three points. Despite the deficit, they dug deep to trim the Long Beach lead to two points compliments of a free throw from Williams leading into a Tiger timeout.

Williams worked her way back to the line a possession later and buried one shot, backed by another clutch bucket from Smith to grab a one-point lead. Two more free throws from sophomore guard Marie Diop sealed the deal leading to a 62-59 triumph.

Roberts, who had not landed in double-digit scoring since early February, showed up and performed as seen in a 14-point, 10 rebound outing to mark a double-double.

Parks inked her 11^th-straight double-digit outing by dropping 11 points in 26 minutes of action. She hauled in six boards, dished out two assists and pocketed a steal.

Smith played an integral role in 35 minutes of work leading to eight points and a flawless 4-for-4 night at the charity stripe. She contributed five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

No. 11 Riverside will hit the road for the SoCal finals and take on the No. 3 Mt. San Antonio College Mounties on Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m. Stay tuned to www.rccathletics.com for all information regarding the game.