#1 vs. #2 Showdown on Wednesday

[ Poll, Week of 1/26/04 ]

A rarity is to have the top two basketball teams in the same conference, let alone the same division. On Wednesday, January 28, #1 Mt. San Antonio College (22-1) will travel to #2 Pasadena City College (19-0) in the first of their home-and-home games on the South Coast Conference North Division schedule. The South Region Game of the Week is scheduled to tip-off at 5:30 pm. Both are undefeated against common opponents. Mt. SAC won those games by an average of 6 points more than Pasadena, but Pasadena being at home could be a balancing factor.

The Mt. SAC-Pasadena was set up by them sweeping last week. Pasadena had to get through Compton in the South Region Game of the Week. Pasadena's defense kept Compton behind in a 64-49 win. #15 Cerritos College has taken first place in the South Division by virtue of El Camino College having a bye. One of them will take their first division loss as they meet at Cerritos on Friday.

Western State Conference will finishes their first round on Wednesday. #20 Moorpark College slipped out of first place in North Division after a home loss to Cuesta, but can regain a share at #3 Ventura College. Ventura nearly fell at Oxnard College last week, but managed a 60-56 win. Santa Barbara City College took an early lead over the Pirates on Saturday, but Ventura stormed back to win by a dozen. #7 College of the Canyons increased their South Division lead to a full game over #18 L.A. Valley College and Santa Monica College. Bakersfield came the closest to upsetting the top three, 70-68 behind Santa Monica.

Bay Valley Conference Valley Division has near-identical standings to WSC South with #4 Sierra College in the lead and #10 San Joaquin Delta College and Sacramento City College on their heels. Sierra had to play both last week to earn the top spot. On Tuesday, Sierra dropped Delta 76-61 in the North Region Game of the Week, and Sacramento had a rougher time on Friday, 83-57. The wins combined with #11 Santa Rosa Junior College's 65-59 overtime upset over #5 Contra Costa College let Sierra switch spots with Contra Costa in the State Poll and take the top of the North Region Poll. Santa Rosa is the only team left in Bay Division with no division losses.

On Wednesday, Central Valley Conference had a 4-way tie for the lead. #6 Merced College had a bye, #8 Reedley College joined them at 3-1 after a win, and College of the Sequoias 60-53 defeat of Porterville drew both
teams into the tie. On Friday Reedley escaped an upset attempt by
Porterville, 63-62, to maintain a share of the lead with Merced and C.O.S.

Chaffey College (7-0) and #9 Antelope Valley College (6-0) are atop Foothill Conference. Neither team were played close in last week's games. San Bernardino Valley College laid their claim to third place after downing Cerro Coso College 71-59.

By this point in the season, the poll voters have a pretty good idea on where teams rank and rarely make big moves. An exception happened this week with Cypress College leaping six spots to #8 in South Region and a #18 bow in the State Poll. Last week's 5-way tie was shattered and, after a pair of double-overtime victories, Cypress found themselves alone in first place in Orange Empire Conference. Cypress tested the health of their coaching staff with a 69-62 score over Saddleback College, then a 76-71 nod at Irvine Valley College. Riverside Community College grabbed a share of second with wins over Golden West College and #12 Fullerton College. Fullerton and Orange Coast College are the other runner-up teams with a 3-2 OEC record. Cypress leads the state in number of overtime periods (10) and games (6.)

Butte College extended their Golden Valley Conference lead to two games over the weekend. Lassen College fell into a tie for second after dropping a home game to Butte on Friday, 78-73, and a road game at Shasta
College the next evening, 51-47. Butte stayed #13 in the State Poll.

San Jose suffered a long losing streak, but recovered just in time to upset #19 Ohlone College, 82-59, in a Coast Conference South Division opener. Ohlone stayed a game behind after fending off College of San Mateo on Friday. City College of San Francisco is still looking at the top ten from the outside despite a 16-3 record. CCSF and Foothill College are 2-0 in North Division. De Anza College were competitive against both schools last week, but lost by 10 at Foothill and 5 to CCSF.

Pacific Coast Conference has Imperial Valley College and Palomar College as co-leaders with 3-0 marks after a pair of 13-point triumphs on Saturday. Southwestern College made it close with IVC on Wednesday, 73-67.

North Region Game of the Week:
If Foothill College and City College of San Francisco take care of business on Wednesday, they will break their tie of first place in North Division on Friday, January 30 at Foothill, 5:30 pm

South Region Game of the Week:
#1 at #2, top-ranked at unbeaten, Mt. San Antonio College at Pasadena City College, Wednesday, January 28, 5:30 pm

Greg Murphy gregm@altair.csustan.edu