Irvine Valley's women's basketball team finished opened its 2018-19 season by winning two of three games at the Lady Gaucho Classic at Saddleback last week.
The Lasers came into the year ranked No. 7 in the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association South Region Preseason Poll.
IVC started the year with a big-time matchup against No. 3 LA Trade-Tech on Thursday in the first round of the tourney at Saddleback.
Irvine Valley played well early and held a 15-10 lead over Trade Tech after the first quarter.
But turnovers ended up costing the Lasers in a 76-55 loss.
Irvine Valley was out-scored 46-28 in the second half of the contest.
Sophomore guard Lexi Vail led Irvine Valley with 21 points. Freshman forward Zoe Stachowski had 13 points and nine rebounds, freshman guard Anai Washington added 10 points and sophomore forward Ryane Bradbury contributed 14 rebounds and four assists.
IVC ended up committing 32 turnovers in the game and made just 14 of 27 free throws (51.9 percent).
Trade Tech was paced by Cheyenne Kckinnie, who finished with 31 points.
But Irvine Valley bounced back with two wins in its final two games of the event.
The Lasers took down Compton, 67-26, in a consolation game on Friday.
The game was tied, 9-9, after the first quarter, but Irvine Valley out-scored Compton, 22-7, in the second quarter to take control and put the game away in the third quarter. The Lasers held Compton to just three points in the third quarter.
Washington ended with 16 points, Stachowski had 14 points, 22 rebounds, three assists and three steals and freshman guard Megan Herrera chipped in 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and nine steals in the win.
The Lasers had 22 steals as a team in the game and helped force 32 Compton turnovers.
Irvine Valley ended the tournament on Saturday morning with a 75-48 victory over Barstow in the consolation final.
Bradbury was a force inside with 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five steals for the Lasers. Vail had a solid line with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Herrera finished with 16 points, eight rebound, three assists and three steals for IVC.
Herrera ended up being named to the all-tournament team for Irvine Valley.
The Lasers play again on Thursday, Nov. 29 at Glendale at 5 p.m.
