Mounties led from the start, Defeat Riverside, 76-56; Tigers End Season at 18-12

WALNUT -- The Mt. San Antonio College (MSAC) Mounties led from the start and cruised to a 76-56 win over the visiting Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's basketball team Saturday night  (Feb. 28) in a California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) South Regional second-round playoff game at MSAC's historic Gymnasium #3.

It was the first meeting in the playoffs between the two clubs.

Mt. San Antonio (31-0 overall), seeded No. 1 in the South region and ranked No. 1 in the state, jumped to leads of 6-0, 17-5, 25-7, and an eventual big lead of 30-9 with 10:44 to play in the first half. The Mounties led, 42-24, at halftime.

Riverside (18-12 overall), the South's No. 16 seed, welcomed the return of sophomore guard Tierra Fuqua (Moreno Valley / Rancho Verde HS) who was sidelined with an injury and missed the two previous games. Last Saturday (Feb. 21), Fuqua was named First Team All-Orange Empire Conference (OEC).

But, in the early going, it seemed like Fuqua was getting used to playing with the Tigers and vice versa. Fuqua finished with seven points, six assists and five rebounds, but had ten turnovers.

Riverside shot only 25.0% in the first half (four of 16) but was 14 of 20 from the free throw line. It didn't get much better for RCC in the second canto as it shot 29.0% (nine of 31), but it was a superb 74.3% (26 of 35) from the charity stripe for the game.
 
The Tigers' other First Team All-OEC honoree, sophomore center Tori Mitchell (Riverside / Poly HS) led RCC with 12 points, 13 rebounds (11 defensive) and three blocked shots before fouling out. 
 
Mitchell extended her RCC-record for defensive rebounds to a final total of 255. She had 244 defesive boards coming into the game. Mitchell's three blocked shots gives her another RCC record: 51 "rejections", which eclipses the previous standard of 49 set by Amber McBride in 1998-99.

Sophomore guard Tristyn Gates (Riverside / Arlington HS) led RCC with 15 points on three field goals (all of which were three-point baskets) and six of eight on free throws. Gates also added six rebounds.

Frosh guard Jordan Lofton (Riverside / M.L. King, Jr., HS) popped in 11 points.
 
Conversely, MSAC shot 43.2% (16 of 37) in the first half and settled for 36.6% (26 of 71) for the game.
 
Sophomore forward John'ea Thompson (Los Angeles / Fairfax HS) was perfect, shootingwise. She was six of six from both the floor and the free throw line for a game-high 18 points. Close behind was frosh guard Gina Henderson (Duarte / Monrovia HS), who came off the bench to pop in 17 points.

Sophomore forward Lashanique Youngblood (Moreno Valley / Rancho Verde HS), a high school teammate of RCC's Fuqua, yanked down a game-high 15 rebounds and added five points and three assists for MSAC.
 
MSAC advances to host the South's No. 8 seed, the Cypress College Chargers (23-7 overall) on Wednesday, March 4, in Walnut. Game time of a projected doubleheader is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The MSAC men (27-1), also seeded No. 1 in the South, will host the No. 8-seeded Long Beach City College Vikings (22-6) on Wednesday, Mar. 4, at 5:30 p.m.
 
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