JUNIOR COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Valley Rolls to Fourth State Tournament Bid in Row

Some basketball programs devise unique little slogans during the season to inspire the team to achieve a goal.

The Valley College women’s basketball team doesn’t have a slogan, a mascot, or even a huge following, but the Lady Monarchs continue to fulfill their highest goal.

That goal is the junior college state tournament. For the fourth consecutive year Valley (29-5) will represent one of four Southern California teams in the tournament, thanks to a 76-52 win Saturday night over visiting Mt. San Antonio College in a Southern regional qualifying game.

Both teams had trouble getting their offense going in a foul-plagued first half that saw 36 fouls called.

The Mounties committed 20 turnovers and Valley took a 36-25 intermission lead by winning a free-throw contest (16 for 27).

The referees let the teams play in the second half and the No. 2-seeded Valley went on an 11-0 run during a three-minute span midway in the half to put the game away.

“The game involved a game of depth,” Valley coach Doug Michelson said. “We have unmatched depth on our bench through all 14 players. It has helped us all season long but it really surfaced in tonight’s game.”

Depth, indeed. Eleven of 13 Lady Monarchs who played in the game scored, with sophomore guard Christine Rumfola leading the way with a team-high 20 points and forward Sandrine Rocher adding 10.

Valley also dominated the boards, outrebounding Mt. SAC, 57-38, and took advantage of 33 Mountie turnovers.

Mt. San Antonio (21-10) was led by 6-2 center Kim Hansen, who had a game-high 25 points in the Mounties’ first-ever appearance in the Southern California Regional.

The state tournament which begins Thursday at College of the Sequoias in Visalia will pit Valley, last year’s state runner-up, and three other Southern California Regional winners from Saturday night’s action against four teams from the northern qualifying region for the state championship.