The Irvine Valley women's basketball team, ranked fifth in the state, first in Southern California and the top team in the Orange Empire Conference, took on the No. 2 team in the OEC, Orange Coast, on Tuesday night at home.
While it wasn't like the easy victory that the Lasers earned over the Pirates (86-49) on Feb. 6, IVC came through with another win.
And it was a big one.
Irvine Valley's 82-68 triumph over Orange Coast Tuesday clinched a fourth-straight conference title.
The Lasers also improved their record to 21-2 overall and 10-0 in conference with two games left in the regular season.
Irvine Valley plays at Golden West on Monday at 2 p.m. and then hosts Santa Ana next Wednesday at 7 p.m. on sophomore night.
The Lasers had five players score in double figures in the win Tuesday over Orange Coast.
Sophomore guard Paola Roa led the way with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists for IVC.
Sophomore guard Jessica Suruor added 18 points and made four three-pointers, sophomore guard Morgan Higgins chipped in 17 points, four assists and four steals, freshman forward Sarah Matossian ended with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals and freshman guard Kennedy Pucci came off the bench with 10 big points and three rebounds.
Irvine Valley got off to a great start and had its best quarter in the first period. The Lasers out-scored Orange Coast, 29-17, on 11 of 20 shooting from the field as a team and making five three-pointers.
The Lasers led, 45-33, at the half, and put the game away in the third quarter by out-scoring the Pirates, 24-12.
IVC held a 69-45 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Irvine Valley shot 52.5 percent (31 of 59) from the field for the game as a team and out-rebounded OCC, 40-30.
The Pirates (18-8, 7-3 and second in the OEC) were paced by Karina Cabrera with 18 points, Annie Trinh with 16 points, four rebounds and six assists and Donyea Smith with 13 points and five rebounds.
