The women's basketball season has entered Pacific Coast Athletic Conference play and both divisions seem up for grabs heading into the second half of the season. Three teams in the PCAC North are likely to battle for the division title while Imperial Valley College looks for its first PCAC title in 12 years in the PCAC South.
PCAC NORTH
The PCAC North looks as if it will have a dogfight until the end, as Palomar College, MiraCosta College and Mt. San Jacinto College all seem primed to play well into the post-season. Palomar had the best non-conference finish to start the season and enters as the favorites, but MiraCosta and Mt. San Jacinto will have something to say about it.
Palomar started 14-5 and heads into PCAC play ranked No. 14 in the state and No. 6 in Southern California in the latest California Community College Sports Information Association poll. The Comets have lost five games, all of which were to teams ranked in the top-20. They also scored four wins over teams ranked in the top-20, winning contests against Mt. San Jacinto (15), East Los Angeles (6), Irvine Valley (14) and El Camino (13). Palomar currently sits 11th in the state in points-per-game, averaging 77.3 for the season. The Comets have scored 85-or-more points on eight occasions, with season-highs of 97 against both Copper Mountain and Saddleback. Palomar has one of the more balanced attacks in the state, with 10 different players averaging at least five points-per-game. Dee Dee Valenzuela (pictured above right) leads the team at 10.5 points-per-game while Kelara Barton is shooting 34.6% from beyond the arc.
MiraCosta has started the season 11-4 overall and heads into PCAC play ranked No. 19 in the state and No. 11 in Southern California in the CCCSIA Rankings. The Spartans have won six straight games after starting 5-4, with a benchmark win over No. 18 Chabot College early in the season. MiraCosta is ranked No. 7 in the state in scoring, averaging 78.9 points-per-game. The Spartans have scored 80-or-more points in eight games, including a season-high of 92 against both Chabot and San Diego City. MiraCosta relies on the trio of Chynna Cochran (15.7 ppg), Julia Inman (12.7 ppg) and Britney Jarvis (12.1 ppg) while Savannah Beasley has been an enforcer inside (6.4 rpg).
Mt. San Jacinto is another that can't be counted out of the equation. The defending state champions started the season with a bunch of fresh new faces, but have scored big wins over ranked teams such as LA Trade Tech (5), Pasadena City (7) and Irvine Valley (14) heading into PCAC play. The Eagles do it a bit different than the two teams in front of them as they are ranked No. 12 in the state in defense, surrendering just 56.2 points-per-game. Freshman Haylei Janssens has been the top performer on both ends of the court, scoring 11.6 points-per-game while averaging 9.3 rebounds.
PCAC SOUTH
It's anybody's guess who will win the PCAC South, but it seems as if Southwestern, Imperial Valley and San Diego City are the three squads with the inside track. None of the programs enter PCAC South play above .500 for the season, but all three look like teams ready to make a run.
Southwestern is 8-8 entering divisional play, but has arguably played the toughest schedule so far. The Jaguars have lost five games to teams ranked in the top-20, including crossover losses to PCAC North foes MiraCosta and Mt. San Jacinto. Southwestern is ranked No. 14 in the state in points scored, averaging 75.7-per-game. The Jaguars are also good on the glass, rankings 17th in the state in rebounds (45.0 rpg). Southwestern is led by a trio of players scoring in double-figures in Satera Bates (pictured above left, 15.2 ppg), Danielle Simmons (13.3 ppg) and Maya Robinson (11.3 ppg).
Imperial Valley hasn't won a PCAC title since the 2006-07 season when they finished 18-11 overall and 10-2 in PCAC play, holding off Palomar for what was then their fourth consecutive PCAC title. Since then it's been a serious dry spell, with only two seasons above .500 (2009-10, 2007-08). Imperial Valley enters PCAC play at 8-9 overall this season, including four losses to teams in the top-20. IVC heads into PCAC play ranked No. 18 in the state on defense, surrendering just 58.5 points-per-game. The Arabs have given up 55-or-less points on six occasions, including a 55-28 win against San Bernardindo Valley this week. IVC is lead by the dynamic duo of Destiny Salgado (18.0 ppg) Keren Hogue (15.8 ppg) in the offensive end, with Salgado also leading the state with 15.7 rebounds-per-game.
Another with a shot at the title is San Diego City, who enters PCAC play at 8-9 overall. The Knights have lost four times to teams ranked in the top-20 in the CCCSIA state rankings, including a pair of crossover games against MiraCosta. SD City has been so-so on both ends of the court, averaging 61.9 on offense and 63.9 on defense. The Knights are led by PCAC Athlete-of-the-Month (December) Breeana Gafare, who averages 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds-per-game. Elliott Nixon leads the team at 14.2 points-per-game while shooting 29.2% from beyond the arc. San Diego City has been particularly good on the glass, outrebounding opponents 48.8-39.5 for the year. If they could find some more consistency on both ends of the court, they could make a run.