COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Irvine Valley Experience Pays Dividends in Win

Irvine Valley, which is lucky enough to have two players with Division I experience, used its advantage to beat Umpqua College of Oregon, 66-60, in the championship game of the Fullerton Nike women’s basketball tournament Saturday.

Jennifer Nakanishi, a sophomore transfer from Loyola Marymount, scored 13 of her game-high 24 points in the second half. She also had three three-pointers in the second half, including one with 3 minutes 30 seconds left to put the Lasers ahead, 62-52.

Heather Robinson, a sophomore transfer from Miami, scored her 12 points in the second half, including a basket with 1:04 left to put Irvine Valley ahead, 66-60.

Nakanishi was selected the tournament’s most valuable player and Robinson and Alison Carr of Irvine Valley (14-2) made the all-tournament team.

Carr, a freshman center, helped contain Umpqua center Angela Burgess of Woodbridge High, who finished with 14 points but made only five of 18 shots.

“Alison did a great job,” Irvine Valley Coach Lisa McNamee said. “She went right at her.”

Irvine Valley led, 27-24, at the half. Umpqua tied the score, 37-37, on a basket by Farrah Magee (Golden West College and Ocean View High). Irvine Valley then went on an 11-0 run. Nakanishi broke the tie with a three-pointer and had four more points in the run.

In the third-place game:

Fullerton 62, Riverside 61--Fullerton’s Minette Gomez made a free throw with three seconds left to break a 61-61 tie. She missed the next one but Fullerton got the rebound and time ran out. Fullerton (8-8) missed its first 13 shots and trailed, 9-0.