Palomar stuns No. 1 seed College of Sequoias, 74-70

2017 CCCAA Women's Basketball Championships Quarterfinals (4S) Palomar 74, (1N) College of the Sequoias 70 (Photo by David Sanborn)
2017 CCCAA Women's Basketball Championships Quarterfinals (4S) Palomar 74, (1N) College of the Sequoias 70 (Photo by David Sanborn)
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Team Stats

March 10, 2017

Tournament Central

LIVERMORE, Calif. – Regina Sheffield had 21 points and 10 rebounds as Palomar held off College of the Sequoias in a quarterfinal game of the California Community College women's basketball tournament Friday at Las Positas College.

Pacific Coast Conference North champion Palomar (28-2) will meet College of the Siskiyous (30-1) in a Saturday semifinal at 5 p.m 

Although State No. 5 ranked Palomar led for the final 12 minutes of Friday's game, No. 4 Sequoias (27-4) would not go away.

The Comets held an eight-point lead at 71-63 with 4:28 remaining after a four-point play by Ariana Hernandez, who was fouled on a successful 3-pointer. The two teams traded baskets with a 3-pointer by Greissen Leslie for COS closing the margin to 73-68 with 3:29 left. Then came a 3-minute scoring drought.

Sequoias missed field goal opportunities and Palomar drew a blank at the charity stripe after that until Dojahnae Senegal executed a putback with 11 seconds to play to make it a one possession game at 73-70. The Giants got the ball right back on a tie-up with a favorable possession arrow. But a 3-point attempt to tie it by Alyssa Gonzales was off the mark with two seconds left.

With Sheffield scoring 12 first-half points, Palomar led, 46-43 at the break. But Central Valley Conference champion Sequoias came back to tie it at 54 with 2:44 left in the third quarter on a layup by Senegal. A free throw by Sheffield with 2:17 showing put the Comets ahead for good at 55-54 and they outscored COS 6-2 to the end of the period for 60-56 advantage 

"We closed it out at the end but they were really tough," said Palomar coach Leigh Marshall. "Sheffield is a two-year starter and really came out and played like that. Christina Ellis also played well."

Ellis had 14 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Monica Todd added 12 points.  

Sequoias got 16 points and four steals from all-state first team selection Idalis Rubalcava. Senegal had a game high 12 rebounds and scored ten points.  Darci Finnigan had 11 points and four assists for COS.   

Sequoias led early in the first period, by six points but could not gain the advantage after that. The score was tied four times.

(Compiled by Fred Baer, College of San Mateo sports information)