Women's basketball team throttles Orange Coast to make final

Courtesy of Toni Lavacot
Courtesy of Toni Lavacot

Irvine Valley's women's basketball team moved into the championship game of the Tomlinson Coast Classic with an easy 61-38 win over host Orange Coast on Friday night.

It was Irvine Valley's ninth consecutive victory.

The Lasers, who improved their record to 11-1 overall, will play Palomar in the championship game on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Orange Coast.

Irvine Valley is ranked No. 2 in Southern California and Palomar, with a record of 10-1, is ranked No. 4.

Palomar was ranked No. 2 two weeks ago.

The Lasers will be going after their third tournament title in a row. They won the title at the Chaffey tournament two weeks ago and then captured their own tourney title last weekend.

Irvine Valley had an easy time against Orange Empire Conference foe Orange Coast on Friday.

The Lasers scored the first 18 points of the game and never looked back.

Freshman guards Jordan Coleman and Tara Casey, sophomore guard Karli Kato and sophomore forward Conerie Brennan each had three-pointers during the run.

After Orange Coast pulled within 24-14 with 9:03 left in the half, Irvine Valley out-scored the Pirates, 12-0, to end the half.

A three-pointer by sophomore guard Erika Pagkalinawan and a layup by Coleman helped give IVC a 38-14 lead at halftime.

The Lasers cruised from there. They scored the first four points of the second half on baskets by Brennan and sophomore center Breanna Turner to go up, 42-14.

Irvine Valley led by as many as 31 points in the second half.

A three-pointer by freshman guard Patricia Tidwell-McClure and a free throw by freshman forward Samantha Perez put IVC ahead, 53-22, with 10:22 left in the game.

Irvine Valley got 11 points from Coleman, 10 points and nine rebounds from Turner, nine points and three assists from Kato, nine points from Tidwell-McClure, six points from Casey and five points and five assists from Pagkalinawan in the victory.

Irvine Valley out-rebounded Orange Coast, 46-35. IVC also helped hold the Pirates to just 25.5 percent (13 of 51) shooting from the field and 9.1 percent (2 of 22) from three-point range.

Orange Coast's record slipped to 3-8 overall.