State No. 1 Giants edge No. 4 Mt. SAC for Gilcrest Invitational women's basketball title

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

In a potential Elite Eight matchup -- if not a possible state finals preview -- College of the Sequoias pulled off its second last-seconds victory this season over the most accomplished women's basketball team in California Community College history.

This time, it was for the championship of the 47th annual Gilcrest Invitational.

The state preseason top-ranked Giants took the lead with 7.7 seconds remaining on a driving layup that bounced around the rim before falling by Campbell Vieg, and held on for a 77-76 victory over No. 4 Mt. San Antonio in the final of the eight-team tournament Dec. 7 at Porter Field House.

Sequoias won the tournament title for the eighth time since legendary former coach Tom Gilcrest launched the event in 1978 as a midseason showcase of state contenders. Gilcrest led Sequoias to its only state championship in 1987.

The Giants also beat the Mounties – who have captured a record eight state championships – 69-68 on Nov. 3 during the Mt. SAC Tip Off Classic in Walnut when Jocelyn Medina provided the go-ahead points with 11 seconds left.

"Mt. SAC is unbelievable," first-season Sequoias coach Tyler Newton said. "They're a great team, with a great coach (Brian Crichlow). A class act. I really love battling them. You always want to test yourself against the best, and they are awesome.

"This is a good learning experience for our team to put another notch in our belt and keep moving forward."

Sequoias has swept the teams ranked Nos. 2-6 in the state -- including No. 2 and two-time reigning California champion Orange Coast (81-63), No. 3 Moorpark (68-58), No. 5 San Joaquin Delta (88-58) and No. 6 Glendale (69-39) -- during a sizzling 11-0 start under Newton, who was hired in the spring after turning Butte into state contenders during the previous seven seasons.

The Giants stand as the winningest team in the state so far this season. Sierra (5-0) is the state's only other undefeated team.

"We are a good team, but we have a lot of weaknesses and good teams like Mt. SAC notice those things," said Medina, an Arbuckle native who was named tournament MVP after delivering game-high totals of 25 points, eight assists and five steals -- along with two rebounds – in the final. "I mean, (Mt. SAC) played a great ball game tonight. It just took a lot of heart and the whole team's effort. So we do have a lot of things to work on, and we'll get back to work on them Monday."

Sequoias trailed Mt. SAC (8-2) throughout most of the first three and a half quarters.

The Giants only lead of the first half (8-7) came following a 3-pointer by Lucia Ricci (Seattle) with 5 minutes to play in the first quarter.

Sequoias – which trailed by seven points (56-49) through three quarters – wouldn't hold the lead again until a layup by Vieg (Chico) made the score 68-67 with 5:22 left.

A layup by Medina (Arbuckle) with 4:52 remaining gave the Giants their biggest lead of the game at 70-67.

"We knew it was a seven-point game, and in basketball, people can go on runs," Medina said. "The lead doesn't mean anything. So we just had to stay composed and play our basketball."

Over the next 4:25, the teams traded the lead five teams, with Mt. SAC going ahead 76-75 at the 27 second mark on Annisah Moncrief's basket.

After Vieg's layup put the Giants ahead 77-76, the Mounties had possession and the ball on their half of the court following a timeout. But Ricci tied up Naomi Acuna on the inbounds with 3 seconds left.

"It's just all instincts," said Ricci, who finished with five points, five rebounds, four steals, two assists and a block. "Get on the ball as soon as possible."

Ricci would go on to get fouled, but she missed both bonus free throws with 0.3 seconds left, giving Mt. SAC one final shot. 

Sequoias' Morgan Trigueiro (Caruthers) got her hands on the inbounds pass as time expired, but Vieg was called for an off-ball foul. That prompted a meeting of the three officials, who eventually ruled that because Mt. SAC was not in the bonus, the game was over.

"We all really believed in ourselves and this team," Ricci said. "I think we work really hard. That was all the hard work we put in showing."

All-tournament selection Trigueiro contributed 13 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Vieg -- who, along with Medina and Trigueiro, transferred from Butte to join Newton at Sequoias  -- finished with 15 points, four assists, a rebound and a steal.

The Giants also received nine points, three rebounds and three assists from Kaitlin Giacone (Eureka); six points and three rebounds from Maya McNeal (Marysville); two points, two points, four rebounds, and assist and a steal by Mallary Gonzalez (Hoover-Fresno); two points and an assist from Anisa Torres (Caruthers); and a rebound from Tylie Hatcher (Cloverdale).

"We kept talking about grit. Grit and toughness," Newton said. "Staying together and making championship plays. Diving on loose balls. Tipping balls. Getting out on the break. Just really staying focused. We didn't start like we wanted to for whatever reason, but we came out more focused in the second half and found a way."

Sequoias returns to action at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at home against Hartnell (7-5).

The Giants also host Canyons at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 and play at the Moorpark Tournament from Dec. 19-21 – where they would potentially face Mt. SAC for a third time – to close the nonconference season.

Sequoias launches Central Valley Conference play at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 at Taft (7-3).

"The cool thing about this team is we are undefeated right now, but we still have so much new and so much to get better at," Ricci said. "We're nowhere near our potential. So the sky's the limit if we work hard."