Mt. SAC women’s basketball advances to state championship

WALNUT — Mt. San Antonio College has been the dominant women's basketball program in the California Community College Athletic Association for the past decade, and the Mounties will get to add to their lore.

Former Muir High School standout Tahniya Sweatt scored 14 points and Shaela Flynn, also from Muir, had 10 and host Mt. SAC, in search of its third consecutive state title, advanced to the CCCAA state finals for the ninth consecutive season with a 59-42 victory over Los Angeles Valley in a Southern California Regional final on Saturday.

Mt. SAC, the region's No. 2 seed, improved to 28-4 and advanced to face North No. 1 San Joaquin Delta, of Stockton, in next week's state semifinals, scheduled for Friday at Cerritos College. The championship game, also at Cerritos, is Sunday, March 16.

Valley, getting 14 points from Myangel Johnson, finished 24-9.

"With so many new girls to the program this year, this is a great, great accomplishment," Mt. SAC coach Brian Crichlow said. "These girls are stepping up at the right time, and understanding what it takes to win big games. We're really, really proud of them."

Mt. SAC, which won its 16th consecutive game, put it away with two 13-4 surges. The first closed the first half at 30-19, and after the Monarchs stayed close at 41-31 with 11 minutes left, Sweatt hit a pair of short jumpers before a Sashanique Youngblood 3-pointer and a fast-break layup by Sweatt pushed it to 54-35 with 3:50 to play.

"We played together, made baskets when it counted," Sweatt said. "We just did our thing as a team."