Irvine Valley's women's basketball team is in the second round for the 3C2A So. Cal. Regional Playoffs for the fifth season in a row.
Second-year head coach Jason Garey helped lead the Lasers to another solid season in 2023-24. After leading IVC to a 21-9 record overall and a trip to a So. Cal. regional final a year ago, the Lasers once again have 21 victories this season (21-7 overall) as it heads into Saturday night's match-up against Ventura in a second-round game at home at 7 p.m.
Ventura won its first round So. Cal. Playoff game on Wednesday, defeating San Diego City at home, 65-55. The Pirates lifted their record to 19-10 overall.
Alexa Coubal led three Pirates in double figures with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Alexis Howery added 16 points, Leslie Salazar had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists and Tiernan Phillips pulled down nine rebounds for Ventura, which is seeded No. 10 in the playoffs.
The Pirates also went 9-3 in the Western State Conference North Division. Ventura finished second in the division.
On the season, Coubal is averaging 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, Sam McKenzie averages 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game and Howery is averaging 6.5 points per game.
Phillips averages 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game for Ventura.
Irvine Valley is the No. 7 seed in the So. Cal. Regional Playoffs and earned a bye in the first round as one of the top eight teams.
Irvine Valley went 12-2 in the Orange Empire Conference and finished in second place during the regular season.
And the Lasers have won six games in a row.
Irvine Valley last beat Riverside, 77-72, on the road on Feb. 23.
First team all-OEC players Christen Ziska and Makena Tomlinson led the Lasers in the victory.
Ziska, a sophomore wing, finished with 25 points and seven rebounds and Tomlinson, a sophomore post player, added 18 points and five rebounds. Freshman guard Moka Saiki chipped in 11 points for IVC.
Irvine Valley defeated Ventura in a tough game in the VC tourney in late December, 58-52. The Lasers out-scored the Pirates, 25-11, in the fourth quarter to pull off the win. Saiki led the Lasers with 19 points in the victory.
On the season, Ziska averages 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, Tomlinson is averaging 12.0 points and 10.4 rebounds, Saiki averages 11.1 points, sophomore guard Emily Freeman is averaging 9.3 points and 3.0 assists and freshman guard Haruka Mikuma averages 3.8 assists a game on the year.
The winner of this game moves on to a regional final next Saturday night against either No. 2 Moorpark or No. 18 Allan Hancock.
2nd Round So. Cal Playoff Pairings
#1 Mt. San Antonio vs. #16 San Diego Mesa
#2 Moorpark vs. #18 Allan Hancock
#3 Glendale vs. #14 Pasadena City
#4 Orange Coast vs. #13 East Los Angeles
#5 Mt. San Jacinto vs. #12 Citrus
#6 Palomar vs. #22 Santa Barbara City
#7 Irvine Valley vs. #10 Ventura
#8 Victory Valley vs. #9 Long Beach City
