Golden West Women Seek Fifth Consecutive Berth in State Tournament

The Golden West College women’s basketball team can reach the state tournament for the fifth consecutive season tonight with a victory over Ventura in a Southern California Regional playoff game in Huntington Beach. The game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Golden West (31-1), the defending state champion, has won 23 consecutive games. The Rustlers last lost on Dec. 8, 77-66, to College of the Sequoias. Ventura is 19-10.

The winners of the four regionals finals in Southern and Northern California meet in the State tournament Feb. 28 and March 1 and 2 at Los Angeles Valley College.

The men’s basketball playoffs start tonight with Rancho Santiago, Cypress and Saddleback playing home games and Fullerton and Golden West on the road.

Rancho Santiago (29-2), the defending state champion and No. 1-seeded team this season, plays host to San Bernardino Valley (15-11) at 7:30 p.m. Bakersfield (12-18) is at Cypress (22-10) at 7:30 p.m. and College of the Desert (17-14) is at Saddleback (17-11) at 7 p.m.

Fullerton (15-15) is at Pasadena (14-14) and Golden West (11-19) is at Ventura (28-4), both at 7 p.m.

Cypress forward Eric Pauley needs 11 points to set the college’s single-season scoring record.