Irvine Valley defeats LBCC in women's basketball playoffs

LONG BEACH >> “Survive and advance” is a mantra often adopted by teams once the postseason rolls around, and the ability to do so is exactly what the Irvine Valley’s women’s basketball team exhibited Wednesday night in a 45-39 victory over Long Beach City in the third round of the CCCAA SoCal Regional Playoffs.

In a contest that featured more combined fouls and tuovers (86) than points (84) at LBCC’s Hall of Champions Gym, the fifth-seeded Lacers (23-7) survived by finally coecting on their field goals during the fourth quarter and getting the job done at the free-throw line down the stretch.

The No. 4 Vikings (24-6) led 19-17 at the half, but ended up shooting just 26 percent (14-54) from the field and scoring a season-low 39 points while committing 20 tuovers and 19 fouls on the night. Irvine (31.8 percent shooting, 29 tuovers, 18 fouls) wasn’t any better overall, but the shots it did convert came when it was a bit too late for LBCC to recover.

Imani Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer with less than two minutes to go to bring Long Beach to within three at 38-35, but the Lacers responded with a jumper from Kasey Smit and a three-point play from Jordan Coleman that sealed it.

“Transition points,” LBCC head coach Michael Anderson said in regard to what hurt his team. “Points in the paint. We’ve won that battle probably 90 percent of the time, and it was 16-16 (in this game). In this kind of game we have to win that points in the paint battle and we didn’t do it.”

Johnson led LBCC in scoring with nine points, while Coleman anchored Irvine with 13. She was the only player on either side to reach double-figures. Smit tacked on a team-high eight rebounds to go with seven points.

When it comes to the season overall, Anderson said he is pleased with many of the results, but in the end his team fell short of its goal

“We won 24 games, conference champions, elite 16 of the state,” he said. “They had a great year. Ultimately we didn’t reach our goal and that’s the thing that’s disappointing. I’m not disappointed in them, I’m disappointed we didn’t reach our goal. Our goal was to get to the final four.”

Irvine Valley will go on to face top-seeded Mt. San Antonio, which defeated Palomar 74-56, on Saturday with a berth in the state playoffs on the line.

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