By Greg Murphy
Unanimity is today's vocabulary word as all three polls declared unanimous
#1's in Ventura College for the COA/CCCWBCA State and South Region Polls
along with Contra Costa College for North Region. Contra Costa maintained
their runner-up state ranking. Mt. San Antonio College broke the tie for
third while their previous partner, Los Angeles Valley College, who fell
into a tie for fifth with Cerritos College. Lassen College took a step up
to #4.
Ventura and Mt. San Antonio did not enter tournaments last week, but did
have a game apiece. Ventura took Glendale 83-54 while Mt. SAC defeated
Compton Community College in a South Coast Conference interdivisional
match, 66-35.
Contra Costa and #11t College of the Canyons had one of the more exciting
games of the young season for the Monterey Peninsula College Tournament.
Contra Costa narrowly avoided the upset, 78-77. Unranked Rio Hondo raised
some eyebrows when they only lost to Contra Costa by 11 on the previous
day and ended up in 3rd place.
The biggest leap forward in this week's poll was made by #14 Moorpark
College. They rose seven spots after upsetting L.A. Valley in the
championship game of the Antelope Valley College Tournament, 61-55. The
host college placed third while College of the Desert took the consolation
bracket by a point over Taft College.
In the Tournament of the Week Sacramento City College won its own tourney
with a huge upset over #8 Sierra College for the title. They were
rewarded with a #22 reentry on the state poll having beat two other
state-ranked squads in prior rounds. #4 Lassen lost to Sierra in the
semifinal round, but overcame #15t Foothill, 54-47, for third. College of
the Sequoias fell from the state rankings, but defeated conference foe
Fresno City College for the consolation title.
#5t Cerritos College and #11t Orange Coast College met for the
championship of OCC's tourney as expected. The higher-ranked team won the
title, 53-50. #15t Cuesta tripped over Saddleback for third place, the
Gauchos winning 65-63. #24 San Diego Mesa lost to Cerritos in the first
round, but rebounded for the consolation title.
In the Region Games of the Week, Butte College traveled to San Jose City
College and won 65-60, earning a #7 state ranking, their first in the top
10 this season. San Bernardino Valley College hoped to upset #18t
Fullerton College, but Fullerton was primed and won 91-60.
With Winter Break, there will not be another poll or report posted until
January 3, 2002. The Games of the Week covers the next two weeks. For
North Region, Merritt College could regain a region ranking with a win at
Fresno City College at 6:00pm, Tuesday, December 18. In the Southland,
Orange Coast will get a chance to reverse the title game of their
tournament last Sunday as Cerritos returns for a 7:30pm game, Wednesday,
December 19.
