Second-seeded Santa Rosa Junior College Women’s Basketball blew through No. 7 seed Laney College 71-46 and became one of the four teams to advance to the State championships from the CCCAA Women’s Basketball NorCal Regionals tournament.
League MVP sophomore Ashleigh Barr started the game off hot for the Bear Cubs by winning the tip off, which led to an easy layup by SRJC sophomore Ciarah Michalik. Laney stalled on offense after getting blocked in back-to-back possessions.
”We’ve been preparing for this [game] all week,” said SRJC guard Alex Ditizio.
The Bear Cubs and the Eagles kept it close until the final four minutes of the first quarter when SRJC sophomore Lanie Lincoln scored a 3-pointer. On the next trip down the court, Lincoln had a timely assist to freshman Meredith Gilbertson, who drilled another crucial 3-pointer for the Bear Cubs.
Laney continued to struggle offensively as SRJC built momentum. SRJC led 15-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bear Cubs picked up where they left off as they exploded in the second quarter, finding most of their success in quick passes and fast cuts to the basket.
Defense was also a key factor as the Bear Cubs had some essential fast breaks, including a steal by SRJC sophomore Sheriene Arikat, which led to an easy fast-break layup by Michalik.
“They’ve put up an average of 90 points a game; yeah, we fouled, but we also made them take tough shots,” said head coach Lacey Campbell.
The Eagles stayed scoreless for almost seven minutes as the Bear Cubs’ lead continued to grow; a miraculous 11-2 run with three minutes left before halftime didn’t make a big impact either. SRJC still led 35-17 at half.
To keep their playoff hopes alive, Laney came out in a full-court press defense and applied pressure in an attempt to cut the lead.
When asked about adjustments to the press, coach Campbell said, “Don’t throw it to them.” Simple words but very crucial in maintaining the lead.
Laney started gaining momentum until Lincoln scored 10 points in a row with two 3-pointers to shift momentum back. “I didn’t even know I scored 10 in a row. I was just trying to stay in it and win with the team,” Lincoln said.
