COMMUNITY COLLEGE STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : Harney Sparkles Again, Golden West Advances

Jennifer Harney continued her solid play in the postseason as Golden West defeated Allan Hancock, 80-75, in the quarterfinals of the women’s State community college basketball tournament Thursday at Merritt College in Oakland.

Harney scored 25 points, including a key rebound basket late in the game, for the Rustlers (28-5), the two-time defending State champions.

Harney, a forward who has signed to attend Cal Poly Pomona, is averaging 29 points in the playoffs after averaging 17 in the regular season. She also had 11 rebounds.

Golden West (28-5) advances to play College of the Sequoias (31-6), a 70-63 winner over L.A. Harbor, in the semifinals at 8 p.m. tonight. The title game is at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Golden West led, 73-72, with 1 minute 3 seconds left and the Rustlers’ Cossette Smith ready to try two free throws. Smith made the first and missed the second, but Harney got the rebound and made a short jumper for a 76-72 lead with 1:01 left.

Golden West had used a 16-4 run in the first half to take a 32-19 lead.

Hancock (28-6) trailed at the half, 44-33, but pressed in the second half, causing 20 turnovers. Golden West had only six turnovers in the first half.

Hancock’s first lead came at 65-64 on a free throw by forward Tania Brunton with 5:52 left in the game. She then scored on a layup and Hancock led, 67-64, about 30 seconds later.

But Golden West went on a 6-0 run to take a 70-67 lead with 4:42 left.

Smith had 16 points and 11 assists and Frances Oda had 11 points for Golden West. Oda, coming off a shoulder injury, played for the first time in two weeks. Jenny Sullivan had nine points and 20 rebounds for the Rustlers.

Brunton had a game-high 31 points but missed three shots from the field and the front of end of three one-and-ones in the final five minutes for Hancock.