Women's basketball season battles through trying times but teams still setting themselves apart

CCCWBCA state poll (Jan. 3) & Regional polls (Jan. 10) l Regional polls (PDF)

SAN LUIS OBISPO - As the novel coronavirus disrupts play across most of the CCCAA, San Joaquin Delta College (Stockton, Calif.) reigns supreme as its sole undefeated women’s basketball program with 17 wins.  Fresno City College is runner-up in the latest California Community College Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) most recent state poll of Jan. 3.  South Region’s top-ranked squad, Palomar College (San Marcos, Calif.), is third.  Fourth is Sierra College (Rocklin, Calif.) and fifth goes to Moorpark College.

San Joaquin Delta played eight single contests in the four full weeks of December.  A quintet of non-conference foes was not able to come within 15 points of the Mustangs including No. 14 Butte College (Oroville, Calif.), Laney College (No. 12 North Region; Oakland, Calif.) and No. 13-North Merced College.

Delta opened Big 8 Conference play with No. 17 Santa Rosa Junior College and a 61-44 win.  Two victories followed to place the Mustangs atop the standings at 3-0.

Fresno hosted a two-day crossover, opening with No. 10 City College of San Francisco.  CCSF forged a comeback that fell short, 76-72.  Santa Barbara City College was the Rams’ finale to the tune of a 78-41 win.  Fresno swept through Monterey Bay after finals week at Cabrillo College (Aptos, Calif.) and Monterey Peninsula College (Monterey, Calif.).  At the San Jose City College crossover, brooms were still active with a pair of big wins before COVID-19 protocols nixed their final contest.  Half of the schedules across CCCAA that week were canceled or postponed.

Palomar’s dreams of an undefeated season were dashed by Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, Calif.).  Playing on their home court was not enough to overcome the No. 7 Mounties, 68-59.  COVID-19 protocols forced the Comets to miss Moorpark’s crossover.  Their year-end return to play found them doubling up the score on a couple of Orange Empire Conference teams.

San Francisco hosted a tournament with Sierra on their guest list.  No. 17 Santa Rosa upset No. 11 Sequoias (Visalia, Calif.) in the quarterfinals.  Sequoias took fifth place.  Santa Rosa pulled off a second upset in their semifinal by 11 over the host Rams.  Sierra defeated No. 9 East Los Angeles College (Monterey Park, Calif.) 87-55 to advance to the championship tilt.  The  Bearcats fell short in achieving a third-straight upset in 48 hours in the 72-59 loss to Sierra.

Sierra opened conference with a big win over defending state champion Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, Calif.).  The 1-0 Wolverines sit in third place behind San Joaquin Delta and 2-0 Modesto Junior College.

Moorpark had the only other loss in the top five.  A trip across San Fernando Valley ended short at No. 15 Glendale Community College, 65-60.  The Raiders hosted a crossover that began with Palomar not being able to play followed by a 40-point win over Pasadena City College.  Moorpark went into Winter Break at unranked Antelope College (Lancaster, Calif.) and manage to avoid the upset, 55-47.

East Los Angeles hosted a series of games at year’s end.  Moorpark beat all-comers including No. 6 College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita, Calif.) 66-53 and East L.A. 42-40.  Canyons struggled against the host in an 83-65 loss.  Canyons eked out an overtime win on the final day.

(Greg Murphy, CCCWBCA)