Giants set to host NorCal Regional basketball playoff doubleheader March 2

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

For the third consecutive season, College of the Sequoias' Porter Field House will play host to a Northern California Regional basketball playoff doubleheader.

The Giants men's team was seeded third and is scheduled to play at 5:30 p.m. March 2, while the women were seeded seventh and follow at 7:30 p.m. Both second-round games are against opponents to be determined.

Admission -- good for both games -- is $12 general and $8 for students, faculty and staff with identification, seniors age 60 and older, and children younger than 12.

Sequoias' men (23-5) were seeded behind No. 1 West Valley (28-0, Coast South Conference champ) and No. 2 San Francisco (23-5, Coast North Conference champ) and ahead of No. 4 San Jose (21-7, tied for second in the Coast South) after tying Columbia for the Central Valley Conference title.

The men will face the highest remaining seed in games featuring No. 19 San Mateo (14-14) at No. 14/13 Santa Rosa (22-6) and No. 20 San Joaquin Delta (15-13) at No. 13/14 West Hills-Lemoore (17-10).

If the Giants reach the third round, they would face either No. 6 Chabot (21-7), No. 11 Merced (21-7) or No. 22 Redwood (17-11) on March 9 -- at home -- for a chance to earn a fifth consecutive appearance in the state's Elite Eight tournament, set for March 15-17 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Sequoias' women (19-9) were seeded behind No. 1 Butte (27-1, Golden Valley Conference champ), No. 2 San Joaquin Delta (24-4, Big 8 champ), No. 3 Fresno City (24-4, CVC champ), No. 4 Folsom Lake (20-8, second place Big 8), No. 5 San Francisco (20-7, Coast North champs), and No. 6 Laney (22-4, Bay Valley champs).

The women's team, which finished in second place in the CVC, awaits the winner between No. 23 Mission (18-10) and No. 10 Santa Rosa (18-10). 

If the Giants reach the third round, they would face either Delta, No. 15 San Mateo (18-9) or No. 18 Solano (21-7) on March 9 -- at the site of the lowest remaining seed -- for an opportunity to reach the Elite Eight for the third straight season.

The women's Elite Eight runs March 14 and 16-17 at Mt. SAC.

The top seeds in the Southern California Regionals are defending state champion Fullerton (24-4) for the men and Mt. SAC (26-2) for the women. Reigning women's champ Orange Coast (25-3) were seeded fourth in the South.

Last season, both Sequoias' teams lost in the round of eight, with the men falling to Citrus 67-65 and the women losing to Palomar 88-49.