Amazing Rally Gives Delta Its First State Women's Basketball Championship

VISALIA -- Finally.

After three other trips to the finals and 15 tourney appearances overall, Gina Johnson guided San Joaquin Delta College to the Stockton campus' first state title, rallying from a 20-point deficit to get past MiraCosta, 76-71, in the finals of the 3C2A State Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday. 

Johnson's Mustangs (28-5) had to settle for bridesmaid at the 2006, 2009, and 2022, but this time she got the proverbial monkey off the program's back with an epic comeback as at one point Delta trailed 29-9. They battled all the way back to take the lead, 69-66, on a 3-pointer by Isabella Azzolino with 2:48 left.

With 1:12 to go, a long bomb off the glass by MiraCosta's wonder point guard Analya Anderson cut it to 72-71. Delta countered on two free throws by tourney MVP Aaliyah Youngblood. She added a layup for good measure off a steal and dish by Fajr Cuthbertson that capped the rally with 11 seconds remaining. 

Delta became the 20th different college to win a state women's basketball crown. The Mustangs are the first North champion since Sierra in 2022, a Wolverines team that defeated Delta in the finals.

"It feels wonderful, I'm in shock actually," said an elated Johnson on winning the title. "To be down 20, just makes it even more of a shock. This crew has been locked in more than any team, the way they were so serious the last four days. I try to motivate them, but they did this on their own."

Youngblood led the Mustangs with 20 points and her 6-for-6 from the line was part of an efficient 15-for-19 (79 percent) by the team. The sophomore added six assists. Cuthbertson, a 2-time, All-State selection, has been a spark off the bench all season for Delta and today was no different. She was nearly perfect shooting the ball as he made 7-for-8 from the field and 5-for-5 at the stripe to tally 19 points.

Another contributor was La Ne'Dunn with nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Marcelina Chaparro delivered 13 points and Azzolino 10. 

MiraCosta led the state in victories this season, finishing at 31-2. Anderson, arguably the best player at the tourney, finished with 19 points, 10 assists and four steals. In three games at state, her numbers were phenomenal as she recorded a triple-double in the Spartans' win over Fresno City in the semifinals and totaled 59 points, 31 assists (10 or more in all three contests), 21 rebounds, and 11 steals. 

Also for MCC, Kyla Palpallotoc drilled five 3-pointers as part of her game-high 21 points. Melia Hinojos added nine points on three long-range baskets.  

In the first quarter, the Spartans did what it has done all season--break out to fast starts. An Anderson layup made it 7-0, and then Palpallatoc sank a three to up it to 19-9. But MCC was not done as a jumper by Faith Behrendt was followed by a 3-pointer, then layup by Chaya Scott that increased the lead to 26-9. Another trey from long-range specialist Hinojos stretched the margin to 20 points. 

In the second period, Delta tried to make a push as Cuthberson hit four free throws and a layup that sliced MiraCosta's lead to 43-30 by halftime. But one glaring difference was MiraCosta making 5-for-10 on 3-pointers while the Mustangs were just 1-for-11. 

Delta made it a game again in the third period, cutting the lead to three (53-50) on an 11-2 run. The Mustangs trailed just 58-52 going into the fourth period. 

Even though Palpallotoc sank a trey for a 9-point MiraCosta lead, Delta whittled away the deficit with Chaparro swishing a 3-pointer and making a nifty turn-around jumper in the paint. A basket-and-one by Cuthbertson tied it at 66-66 and Delta completed the comeback. 

"I just wasn't going to let us go out like that," said Cuthbertson about the large climb from a 20-point hole. "MiraCosta hit a lot of shots, but I just know my team and I had to hype everybody up."

MiraCosta head coach Westly Perryman is a definite program whisperer as he first turned Grossmont from a 6-win team to 24 victories in 2024-25 in his only season there. He then took six of his players including 2-time, All-State selection Anderson with him to MiraCosta, directing the Spartans from eight wins a year ago to 31 this season and the co-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship. In the two seasons, his teams were 55-7. 

Delta was the second place team out of the Big 8 Conference as No. 2 seed Folsom Lake won the league title. But the Mustangs' higher RPI gave them the top seed. 

ALL-3C2A STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP-Aaliyah Youngblood, SJ Delta
Fajr Cuthbertson, SJ Delta
La Ne'Dunn, SJ Delta
Anayla Anderson, MiraCosta
Kyla Palpallatoc, MiraCosta
Sara Shein, Fresno City
Ashanti Dias, Laney

Release by Robert Lewis, 3C2A Championship SID