By Greg Murphy
The 2001-2002 women's basketball season hits the court running this
season. The COA/CCCWBCA preseason poll #1, Ventura College Pirates, the
2-time defending COA champion, and the #2 Mt. San Antonio Mounties vie in
the first round of the Chaffey College Tip-Off Classic at 3:00 P.M. on
opening day, November 9th. Mt. San Antonio was the only team to beat
Ventura twice last season. Ventura was ranked above Mt. San Antonio
despite the 2 losses. They could meet 3 other times this season, perhaps
in the Championship Game of the playoffs. They also finished 1-2 in South
Region voting. Ventura was the unanimous #1 in both polls
84 other colleges have a different opinion. The teo that were picked to
lead the North region by the panel of coaches, reporters and sports
information directors are #3 San Jose City College and last year's COA
runner-up #4 Contra Costa College. One surprising result in the North
region preseason poll was that San Jose finished above Contra Costa
despite having four #1 nods to merely one for San Jose. They could meet
as early as November 24 at a tournament at Ventura College and have two
other opportunities during the season.
The Chaffey Tournament is also hosting #11 Solano Community College, which
was ranked atop the state for a short while last season, as well as #12
Riverside Community College. If the tournament follows the preseason
poll, they will meet in the second round on Saturday.
The season opens at 10:30 A.M. at San Diego Mesa College Tip-Off
Tournament with #5 Cerritos College vs. Rio Hondo College. Contra Costa
could meet them in the championship game. #13 LA Valley College stands in
the way of Cerritos.
#10 Lassen College continues their tough Reno Shootout in Reno, Nevada
with San Jose, #17 LA Southwest College, #20 Shasta College, #21
Sacramento City College, #22 Merritt College and regionally ranked De Anza
and Modesto Colleges. The results should have a big result on the first
season poll this Tuesday.
#19 Pasadena City College hosts a four-team tourney with Moorpark, Palomar
and San Francisco. Cuesta College will be challenged in its own
two-rounder with guests #7 Merced College, #9 Sierra College and Cerro
Coso College. Tournaments are hosted this weekend by #23 LA
Trade-Technical College and Santa Barbara City College. East LA College
travels to Odessa College in Texas for a tournament there.
The season is shaping into the most exciting that there have been with
highly ranked teams set to meet on a weekly basis. It should be quite a
bumpy road to the State Championship Game at Spanos Center on the campus
of University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. It is set to take place
Sunday, March 10 at 1:00 P.M. Last season, the game was broadcast
nationwide on small-dish satellite by FOX Sports regional network and the
CCCWBCA looks forward to further nationwide coverage during this season of
California Community College Athletics.
