Giants' women's basketball set to host CVC co-leading West Hills-Lemoore
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
College of the Sequoias women's basketball team has an opportunity to help tighten the Central Valley Conference title race when it hosts West Hills-Lemoore on Jan. 26.
The state No. 16-ranked Eagles (13-5 overall) enter as one of two undefeated teams in CVC play. Tipoff from Porter Field House is scheduled for 7 p.m.
No. 2 Fresno City (17-1) shares the CVC lead with West Hills-Lemoore at 3-0.
The No. 11 Giants (12-5 overall) improved to 2-1 in the CVC while shaking off an unexpected two-week layoff because of Covid-19 precautions with an 89-44 home victory over Porterville on Jan. 22.
"Obviously Fresno is at the top of the conference and everyone else is kind of fighting right now," Sequoias coach Ray Alvarado said. "Actually, everyone is fighting just to make sure we get games in. That's the biggest thing. I don't want to say you are forgetting about every other opponent, but you're just worried about your own team. That's where we're at right now. It's hard on the players themselves because they're expecting a game, then boom, there's no game. That's happened to us a few times. We're just trying to get through the conference. My goal is to get everyone healthy at the right time, then get going."
Alvarado said his Giants looked a little rusty through the first quarter against Porterville (1-13, 0-2), but exploded for 32 points in the second quarter to take control of the game.
Sapphire Jones (Hanford High) scored eight of her 21 points in the second quarter as the Giants expanded their lead from 20-15 after the first quarter to 52-24 at halftime.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Serena Ybarra (Coalinga) capped a 25-2 second-quarter run that saw Sequoias grow its lead to 26 points (49-23).
The Giants' lead ballooned to 50 points (77-27) on a Jones layup with 28 seconds left in the third quarter.
Jones also contributed five steals, four assists and three rebounds.
Dyaneli Diaz (McFarland) added 15 points -- going 5 of 10 on 3-pointers -- and three rebounds for the Giants.
Sequoias also received 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals from Tiana Holland (Washington Union-Easton); 11 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists from Ybarra; 10 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists from Celeste Lewis (Sierra Pacific-Hanford); and eight points and three steals from Ayon Carter (Oakland).
"It was good to get us going. We're trying to get the kids back in shape, trying to get them to run," Alvarado said. "Normally we wouldn't press like that, but we have to kind of get going. So we had to keep working. The effort in the second half was much better. Having that layoff was almost like starting over in a sense."
Sequoias has played its last 12 games without the services of 5-11 forward Alana Roberts (Sierra Pacific), who was averaging 12 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals, 1.4 assists and 0.6 blocks per game before injuring her ankle. Roberts and Lewis were key contributors to a Sierra Pacific team that reached the California Interscholastic Federation Division IV state championship in 2020 before the final was canceled because of Covid-19 precautions.
Alvarado said he's hopeful Roberts will be cleared to return to action in early February.
"Not having Alana is such a huge blow for us. People don't realize how much of an impact she makes," Alvarado said. "We're trying to work through that spot. I like the fact (the rest of the players) are pushing themselves a little bit more and taking a little bit more ownership. But it's hard not to think of (Roberts) when we know she could be doing stuff."
After facing West Hills-Lemoore, the Giants are scheduled to host Taft (2-12, 0-3) at 5 p.m. Jan. 29 and Fresno City at 7 p.m. Feb. 2. The Rams have won 17 straight games -- including a 83-56 victory over the Giants on Jan. 8 in Fresno -- since opening the season with a 77-74 loss to state top-ranked San Joaquin Delta.
