Visalia, Calif. – The Mt. SAC Women's Basketball Team delivered an incredible performance this past weekend at the 47th Annual Gilcrest Tournament, hosted by College of the Sequoias at the Porter Fieldhouse. The Mounties secured second place out of eight teams, earning two victories and narrowly falling to the No. 1 ranked College of the Sequoias by just one point in a thrilling 77-76 final. This loss marks only the second for the Mounties this season, both of which were single-point defeats at the hands of COS. Mt. SAC now holds an 8-2 record, while COS remains unbeaten at 11-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Mt. SAC opened the game with strong defensive efforts and efficient scoring, led by Taliyah McFerson, who secured an early layup and free throw to put the team on the board. The Mounties maintained their momentum, capitalizing on turnovers with quick transitions, highlighted by Destiny King's assist to Aanisah Moncrief for a layup. Despite consistent teamwork from Sequoias, including three-point shots from Morgan Trigueiro, Lucia Ricci and Jocelyn Medina, Mt. SAC held their lead through the first quarter, thanks to clutch scoring by Daisia Mitchell and persistent rebounding. The second quarter saw Mt. SAC maintain their edge with help from Elizabeth Udeze, who added a layup and a jump shot while Moncrief and Mitchell secured key rebounds to keep the Giants at bay, giving the Mounties a 32-27 lead at the half.
Mt. SAC had a strong third quarter with fierce defense including eight team rebounds and nine points from Moncrief, capped by her buzzer-beating three-pointer that gave the Mounties a crucial advantage heading into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Giants roared back with intensity, featuring a three-pointer from Medina and a key layup by Kaitlin Giacone to swing the momentum in their favor. With under a minute to go, Moncrief's layup put Mt. SAC ahead 76-75, but COS secured the lead with a layup from Campbell Vieg with eight seconds remaining. Despite a final timeout attempt from Mt. SAC, Sequoias held on to their 77-76 victory to maintain their undefeated streak.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Aanisah Moncrief (Mt. SAC): Team-high 19 points, 6 rebounds, 8-11 FG
- Daisia Mitchell (Mt. SAC): 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists
- Taliyah McFerson (Mt. SAC): 15 points, 5 rebounds, 7-9 FG
- Jocelyn Medina (COS): Game-high 25 points, 8 assists, 5 steals
- Campbell Vieg (COS): 15 points, 4 assists
- Morgan Trigueiro (COS): 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
TEAM STATS:
- Shooting: Mt. SAC – 54.0% (34-63); Sequoias – 55.4% (31-56)
- Three-Point Shooting: Mt. SAC – 25.0% (3-12); Sequoias – 41.2% (7-17)
- Free Throw Shooting: Mt. SAC – 83.3% (5-6); Sequoias – 57.1% (8-14)
- Rebounds: Mt. SAC – 33 (11 offensive, 22 defensive); Sequoias – 24 (6 offensive, 18 defensive)
- Turnovers: Mt. SAC – 20; Sequoias – 18
- Assists: Both teams – 22
UP NEXT:
The Mounties will compete in the LA Valley Tournament, hosted by LA Valley College, from December 12-14. Good luck, ladies!
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Women's Basketball on Twitter @MtSAC_WBKB or Instagram /mt.sacwbk/
Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics Instagram /mtsac_athletics/ or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics
For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.