Hancock Women's Basketball Earns First Playoff Bid Since 1995, Faces Santa Ana Wednesday in First Round of SoCal Regionals
"Making the playoffs has been a goal our program has been working toward for the last four years," said fourth-year head coach Cary Nerelli. "It is so rewarding for the players, coaches, the program and the college to have cleared this barrier."
The Bulldogs ended the regular season 17-9 overall and finished third in the Western State Conference standings at 5-5. The 17 wins represent the program's highest single-season win total since 1994-95, which is also the last time Hancock appeared in the state playoffs.
Ventura, which won its 27th straight WSC title after a perfect 10-0 record in league, received the No. 3 seed. Moorpark, which finished second in conference at 8-2, also made the 19-team field as the No. 13 seed and drew No. 4 Cypress in the second round.
"I am grateful we play in such a strong conference because it helps prepare us to battle playoff-caliber teams, and makes us a better, more competitive team," added Nerelli.
After losing starting point guard Syenna Ramirez to a season-ending injury in the middle of a three-game losing streak two weeks ago, it appeared the Bulldogs' postseason chances disappeared. However, Hancock finished the season on a two-game winning streak, defeating Cuesta 63-46 and Oxnard 66-55 to reinsert itself into the playoff picture. The team's 17 wins aided by a 12-4 preseason help push Hancock into the postseason.
Freshman guard Taylor Lee-Hammer is Hancock's leading scorer at 12.4 points per game. She is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range, the fifth-highest percentage in the state. Freshman center Grace Rosa, a Paso Robles High School graduate, puts up 12.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs. Freshman guard Karly Beyers, a Pioneer Valley High School graduate, averages 9.7 points per game and is shooting 37 percent from 3-point territory. Sophomore forward Destinee Garcia averages 8.3 points and 6.4 boards per contest.
Santa Ana finished tied for fourth in the Orange Empire conference at 5-7, and 15-13 overall. The Dons lost their last two games of the regular season. Sophomore Blaysen Varnadoe is the team's leading scorer and rebounder at 18.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore Taylor Ivicevic averages 12.3 points. Jen Ventura averages 8.7 points per game and is shooting 31 percent from 3-point range.
The Bulldogs and Santa Ana have three common opponents this season: Cuesta, Orange Coast and Bakersfield. Both teams beat Bakersfield:Hancock by three points and Santa Ana by five. Santa Ana defeated Cuesta by four in December, while the Bulldogs went 3-0 against the Cougars. Hancock lost by 38 points to Orange Coast in Ventura, while Santa Ana beat Orange Coast in their two meetings this year.
The winner of Wednesday's first round game will advance to Saturday's second round at No. 2 East Los Angeles. East LA is riding a nine-game winning streak and shared the South Coast Conference's North Division title with Mt. San Antonio College. East LA is 26-2 overall.
To view the SoCal Regional bracket, click here.