Baker, Espinoza Shine Again, Women’s Hoops 2nd at IVC Tourney

For the second time this season, the Pasadena City College women’s basketball team lost to an Orange Empire Conference team in the finals of a tournament. Host Irvine Valley prevented the Lancers from a first-place trophy, defeating them, 84-66, Saturday in the championship game of the Irvine Valley Tournament. In November, Fullerton downed PCC for the Glendale Tournament title.

The state’s 10th-ranked Lancers dropped to 6-3 while the 5th-rated Lasers improved to 9-1.

Pasadena led 23-21 and was tied at 29-29 with 5:02 left in the first half. Irvine Valley went on a 14-4 run and took a 43-36 halftime lead. In the second half, PCC got as close as 53-47, but the team went cold offensively. Over an 8-minute stretch, IVC outscored the Lancers, 24-8, and put the game out of reach.

Irvine Valley was led by tourney MVP Breanna Turner, who scored 27 points and tied a school record with 21 rebounds.

PCC’s production has centered on the duo of point guard Judith Espinoza and forward Regerina Baker. They didn’t disappoint in this big game as Espinoza scored 25 points (10-for-12 from the free throw line) and Baker added 20 points and 15 rebounds. The two were named All-Irvine Valley Tournament. It was the second all-tourney selection for each player in the Lancers’ three tournaments played thus far.

PCC’s offense is top-heavy in the Baker-Espinoza combo. They are averaging a combined 34 points a game. No other Lancer averages double digits although injured forward Ilianna Blanc had a 9.7 average in three games. She has missed the team’s last six games.

Another area of concern is the team’s 3-point shooting. The Lancers made 10 treys in the three IVC games in 42 attempts while opponents were 24-for-56, a 42-point differential in outside shooting.

[Editor’s Note: changes next opponents] The Lancers next play in the College of the Desert Winter Classic Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 18-20. PCC opens with a December 18 game v. Moorpark at 5 p.m.

[Photo–Judith Espinoza (left) and Regerina Baker (right) go up for baskets during Saturday’s final of the Irvine Valley Tournament, image combo by Richard Quinton.]