Anything goes at this week's 3C2A Women's Basketball State Championship
The 3C2A Women's Basketball State Championship has a number of intriguing storylines as the eight finalists will vie for the 2025 crown on March 14-16 at Mt. San Antonio College.
Can North #1 seed College of the Sequoias (30-0) be the first undefeated state champion since 2013 when Mt. San Antonio at 34-0 pulled off the feat?
Can South #1 Orange Coast become the first tri-peat champion since Mt. SAC in 2006-2008?
Can South #2 Mt. SAC become the first college to ever capture a title on its home floor after already winning a state-high eight championships?
Can North #2 San Joaquin Delta win that elusive first championship after three state runner-ups, the last in 2022?
Meanwhile, the remaining four teams--North #3 Sierra, #4 Folsom Lake, South #3 Glendale and #4 Palomar all have a chance to pull off upsets. Sierra won titles in 1999 and 2022 while the other three could achieve their respective colleges first crown.
Orange Coast, Delta, Folsom Lake and Glendale each return from last year's field.
While the Big 8 Conference has three representatives from the North to join Sequoias, the South has four different conference champions represented.
Sequoias has the distinction of beating all four SoCal seeds, including two each against Orange Coast and Mt. SAC (two 1-point victories v. Mounties).
For Giants head coach Tyler Newton, it's a return to the state championship tourney with a different college as he directed Butte to the semifinals last year, then took the COS job in the off-season. Three standout freshmen from that squad transferred to Sequoias for this season's postseason run.
2025 3C2A STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals, Friday, March 14
S1 Orange Coast (25-5) v. N4 Folsom Lake (25-5), 1 p.m.
N2 San Joaquin Delta (22-8) v. S3 Glendale (25-4), 3 p.m.
N1 Sequoias (30-0) v. S4 Palomar (24-6), 5 p.m.
S2 Mt. San Antonio (26-4) v. N3 Sierra (25-4), 7 p.m.
Semifinals, Saturday, March 15
OCC/Folsom Lake winner vs. Delta/Glendale winner, 5 p.m.
Sequoias/Palomar winner vs. Mt. SAC/Sierra winner, 7 p.m.
Championship, Sunday, March 16
Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m.
Here are team-by-team capsules going into the State Elite Eight Tourney:
SOUTH #1 ORANGE COAST (25-5)
Orange Empire Conference Champions
Head Coach: Sammy Doucette
Road to State: defeated #17 Irvine Valley, #8 Cerro Coso
Top Players: All-State First Team/OEC MVP center Alyssa Dressen, All-State Second Team forward Myia Collins, guard Hailey Estrada
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 2-3 (wins v. Delta, Glendale, losses twice v. Sequoias, Mt. San Antonio)
State Titles: 3, 2003, 2023, 2024
Current Winning Streak: 3
SOUTH #2 MT. SAN ANTONIO (26-4)
South Coast Conference North Division Champions
Head Coach: Brian Crichlow
Road to State: defeated #15 West LA, #10 Grossmont
Top Players: 2-time SoCal Player of the Year/2-time SCC North MVP guard-forward Daisia Mitchell, All-State First Team guard-forward Taliyah McFerson, All-SCC First Team forward Alana Diaz
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 3-2 (wins v. Orange Coast, Delta, Palomar, losses twice v. Sequoias)
State Titles: 8, 2004, 2006-08, 2012-13, 2016-17
Current Winning Streak: 11
SOUTH #3 GLENDALE (25-4)
Western State Conference South Division Champions
Head Coach: Joel Weiss
Road to State: defeated #13 San Diego Mesa, #5 Cypress
Top Players: All-State First Team forward Shadel Ffrench, All-State Third Team guard Malia Ulery, guard Sammy Velasquez
Best State Finish: 3C2A Runner-up, 2024
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 0-2 (losses v. Sequoias, Orange Coast)
Current Winning Streak: 2
SOUTH #4 PALOMAR (24-6)
Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Champions
Head Coach: Leigh Marshall
Road to State: defeated #11 Santa Barbara CC, #3 Moorpark
Top Players: All-State Second Team guard/PCAC MVP Kylie Trujillo, All-PCAC First Team selections in guard Teanna Alaman, forward Kailani Flournoy
Best State Finish: State semifinalists, 2017, 2023
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 0-3 (losses v. Delta, Sequoias, Mt. SAC)
Current Winning Streak: 16
NORTH #1 SEQUOIAS (30-0)
Central Valley Conference champions
Head Coach: Tyler Newton
Road to State: defeated #16 Cabrillo, #8 Fresno CC
Top Players: NorCal Player of the Year/CVC Co-MVP guard Jocelyn Medina, 2-time All-State First Team guard/CVC Co-MVP Morgan Trigueiro; All-State Second Team guard Campbell Vieg
State Titles: 1, 1987
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 7-0 (wins twice v. Mt. SAC, twice v. Orange Coast, Glendale, Delta, Palomar)
Current Winning Streak: 30
NORTH #2 SAN JOAQUIN DELTA (22-8)
Big 8 Conference Champions
Head Coach: Gina Johnson
Road to State: defeated #15 San Mateo, #7 Sequoias
Top Players: All-State Second Team guard Kiara Council, All-State Third Team guard/forward Fajr Cuthberston, guard Aaliyah Youngblood
Best State Finish: State Runner-up 2006, 2009, 2022
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 4-4 (wins twice v. Folsom Lake, split v. Sierra, Palomar, losses v. Mt. SAC, Orange Coast, Sequoias)
Current Winning Streak: 4
NORTH #3 SIERRA (25-4)
Big 8 Conference Tie-Second Place
Head Coach: Brandie Murrish
Road to State: defeated #19 Cosumnes River, #6 Laney
Top Players: All-State First Team forward-center Katie Leeth, guard-forward Mikayla Bumgarner, guard Dibora Leaf
State Titles: 2, 1999, 2022
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 2-2 (split v. Delta, split v. Folsom Lake)
Current Winning Streak: 10
NORTH #4 FOLSOM LAKE (25-5)
Big 8 Conference Tie-Second Place
Head Coach: Ali Mollet
Road to State: defeated #12 Chabot, #4 San Jose CC
Top Players: All-State Third Team forward Athena Brombacher, guards Lexi Peters and Gianna Darte
Best State Finish: State quarterfinalist, 2024
Record v. State Tourney Teams: 1-3 (split v. Sierra, lost twice v. Delta)
Current Winning Streak: 2
*-All-State Players are also All-Conference First Team
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWBCA Publicist