Walnut, Calif. – The Mt. SAC Women's Basketball Team wrapped up their regular season with a commanding 73-46 victory over East Los Angeles College on Friday, February 21. They were also crowned the South Coast Conference North Division Champions for the fifth consecutive year, highlighting the program's tradition of excellence.

The night was especially meaningful as the Mounties honored their sophomores with framed jerseys, celebrating their contributions to the program. With this victory, Mt. SAC improved to 24-4 overall and a flawless 8-0 in conference play, while the Huskies dropped to 15-12 overall and 5-3 in conference action.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

From the opening tip-off, the Mounties set the tone, jumping out to an early eight-point lead thanks to layups from Naomi Acuna, Alana Diaz and Daisia Mitchell followed by a jump shot from Elizabeth Udeze. Halfway through the first period, Ryann Riddle entered the game, sinking a three-pointer, landing two layups and a free throw to contribute eight points for the Mounties and helping them to a 24-7 lead.

Despite a few sparks from ELAC's Asiah Harris and Miracle Millinghaus, Mt. SAC continued its relentless attack. Contributions from Riddle and Aanisah Moncrief helped extend the lead to 40-18 at halftime.

The third quarter saw ELAC put up its strongest effort with an 18-point surge, but the Mounties responded with 21 points of their own. Taliyah McFerson dominated, scoring 12 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and pulling down three rebounds. Moncrief capped off the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, bringing the crowd to their feet.

With a comfortable lead, Mt. SAC's reserves stepped in to close out the game. Armani Owens added four points, while Janessa Rodriguez sank two free throws. The Mounties outperformed the Huskies in several key areas including points in the paint (Mt. SAC- 32, Huskie- 18), fastbreak points (Mt. SAC-16, Huskies-8) and bench points (Mt. SAC-36, Huskies-13).

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Taliyah McFerson (Mt. SAC): 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals
• Ryann Riddle (Mt. SAC): 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Daisia Mitchell (Mt. SAC): 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Derricka Millinghaus (ELAC): Team-high 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks
• Asiah Harris (ELAC): 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

NEXT UP:

The brackets are set for the upcoming 3C2A Women's Basketball State Championship, which will be hosted at Mt. SAC, beginning Thursday, March 13. As the No. 2 seed in the SoCal Regionals, the Mounties have earned a first-round bye and will take the court on Saturday, March 1, at 5:00 PM against the winner of No. 15 West LA (18-10) vs. No. 18 Long Beach City College (21-7).

Come out to support the ladies as they make their run for a state championship title!

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.