COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT : San Mateo Uses Slower Pace to Upset Golden West, 43-41

During his 29 years in coaching, Golden West’s Dick Stricklin has developed an easy-going style that makes it hard to tell when looking at him after a game whether his team won or lost.

But the tears and frustration in the faces of his players clearly showed that the Rustlers lost Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the community college women’s basketball State tournament at Orange Coast College.

San Mateo, using a slow-down offense, upset Golden West, 43-41.

“We knew we couldn’t get behind and we knew we couldn’t shoot poorly,” Stricklin said. “But we did both those things. It was a tough way to end it.”

Golden West led, 21-14, at the half but struggled in the second half. San Mateo rallied and built a 43-38 lead with 44 seconds left.

Still, Golden West had the ball and a chance to win in the final seconds.

Deana Itow started the rally with a three-pointer with 36 seconds left to make it 43-41.

San Mateo’s Patrice Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one with 33 seconds left but Itow’s next three-point attempt went off the front of the rim with 16 seconds remaining.

Golden West (29-6) quickly fouled and this time, San Mateo’s Erin Ninemeyer kept the Rustlers alive by missing her first attempt.

The Rustlers worked the ball around and Itow looked to drive or pass in to Julie Murdent but both options were shut off by San Mateo.

Itow finally passed to Sally Nuruki who passed back to Itow as time ran out.

The loss ended Golden West’s 16-game winning streak, which included going 12-0 and winning the Orange Empire Conference. Golden West was playing in its ninth consecutive State tournament.

It was the second consecutive upset for San Mateo (25-4). The Bulldogs, the No. 7-seeded team in Northern California, beat No. 2-Lassen, 59-55, to advance to the State tournament.

“We’re a very tired basketball team,” San Mateo Coach Tom Martinez said. “We play that way (slowing it down) because we don’t have a lot of depth. Not many teams are used to it, so I guess it gives them some problems.”

San Mateo will play Merritt tonight in one semifinal.

The 43 points was a season low for Golden West, which shot 26% (17 of 66) for the game. San Mateo was even worse, 25% (15 of 60).

Murdent finished with 16 points and Itow had 12 for Golden West. Murdent’s 16 points gave her a Golden West career record 1,318.