Palomar stuns defending state champions 69-47
by Palomar College Sports Information
VENTURA (3-04-2015) -- Palomar upset defending state community college champion Ventura 69-47 in the teams' Southern California Regional semifinal women's basketball game Friday night at the Ventura College Athletic Event Center.
The Comets' Keisha Cox (left) had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds playing much of the final 10 minutes with four fouls.
Tessa Balcom scored 11 points, Chelse Ayala (right) contributed 10 points and Melissa Allen added 9 points. Mikaela Shannon pulled down 10 rebounds.
"Cox was a big key, obviously," coach Leigh Marshall said. "Ayala really stepped up off the bench. We got her some scoring opportunities and she contributed some steals. I thought the play of our point guards, Ayala and (Lee Lee) Tomlinson was critical for us. They played great defense on their point guard (Aubri Smith), who is their best player."
With the No. 5-seeded Comets down 17-16, Cox, Allen, Ayala and Ashleigh Barnes combined to outscore the fourth-seeded Pirates 14-2 in a run that put Palomar on top 30-19 with just over 3 minutes to play in the first half.
Ventura closed the gap, but the Ayala's layup in the final minute of the half put the Comets up 32-24 and Cox fed Lynnzy Troxell underneath for a basket with 2 seconds remaining that made it 34-24 at intermission.
In the second half Balcom drained two 3-pointers and Allen added a bucket to put Palomar on top by 23 points late on the way to its seventh straight win.
Palomar (26-3) will play Mt. SAC (32-0), a winner over Cypress in one of two Southern California regional finals, in Walnut this Saturday for a spot in the state Final Four the following weekend at Cerritos College.
Ventura finishes the season 26-6.