Giants to host San Mateo in basketball playoff doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. (women) and 7:30 p.m. (men) on Feb. 25

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

The "road to Lemoore" for College of the Sequoias' men's and women's basketball teams will begin Feb. 25 at home against opponents from the same school.

The Giants' third-seeded women are set to host No. 19 San Mateo at 5:30 p.m., while Sequoias' third-seeded men entertain the No. 19 Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m.

Admission into Porter Field House, as set by the California Community College Athletic Association, is $12 general and $8 for identified students, faculty and staff, seniors over 60 and children younger than 12.

San Mateo pulled upsets in the play-in round Feb. 22, with the women (19-9) defeating No. 14 Shasta 36-33 and the men (14-15) edging No. 14 Gavilan 52-50.

Sequoias' women enter the Northern California Regional playoffs on a 12-game winning streak after capping the regular season with a 75-43 victory over Reedley on Feb. 17. If the Giants defeat San Mateo, they will host the winner between No. 6 San Francisco (23-4) and No. 22 Lassen (12-16) in the NorCal Regional finals March 4 for a berth in the state's Final Eight. West Hills College-Lemoore's Golden Eagle Arena will be the site of the women's Final Eight on March 10-12.

The women will be led by Central Valley Conference Most Valuable Player Alana Roberts (Sierra Pacific High-Hanford).

Roberts, a sophomore who missed most of last season with a knee injury, averaged 15.1 points on 56 percent shooting, 10.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks and one assist per game while helping the Giants to a 26-2 overall record and a 12-0 run through the conference.

All-conference honors also went to first-team selections Maria Dias (Lisbon, Portugal) and Geizzle Jones (Bullard-Fresno), second-team picks Taylor Roth (Sanger), Tiana Holland (Washington Union-Easton) and Camila Barreno (Ambato, Ecuador), and to CVC Coach of the Year Ray Alvarado.

Dias, a sophomore, averaged 14 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.7 blocks, while Jones, a freshman, averaged 13 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

Roth, a sophomore, averaged 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks.

Holland, a sophomore, averaged 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.3 blocks.

Barreno, a sophomore, averaged 12 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.8 steals and 0.1 blocks.

Alvarado led the Giants to their sixth CVC title in the past eight seasons, and the program's ninth straight postseason appearance in a championship season.

Sequoias' women reached the state's Final Eight for the fifth time in the past seven championship seasons in 2022, losing 69-53 in the semifinals to eventual champion Sierra. The lone state championship in program history came in 1987.

The Giants' men storm into the NorCal Regionals having won 20 straight games, tied with Yuba and Fullerton for the longest active winning streaks in the state, following a 94-71 defeat of Reedley on Feb. 17.

If Sequoias beats San Mateo, it will host the winner between No. 6 Redwoods (25-3) and No. 11 Cosumnes River (20-9) in a NorCal Regional final on March 4 for a berth in the state Final Eight, scheduled for March 9 and 11-12 in Lemoore.

The men will be led by CVC Co-MVPs Terri Miller (Clovis North) and Javohn Garcia (Columbus, Ohio).

Miller, the team's lone returning sophomore, averaged 14.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, while Garcia, a sophomore transfer from NCAA Division I Massachusetts, averaged 21.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.5 blocks to help the Giants go 25-3 overall and 14-0 in the CVC. It was Sequoias' first undefeated run through conference since 1950.

Burrell, a sophomore from Sacramento, averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.1 blocks, while Clark, a freshman from Snellville, Ga., averaged 8.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

CVC honors were also given to All-Defense members Garcia, Clark and Jose Cuello (Harlem, N.Y.); All-Freshmen members Clark, Cuello and Alex Argandar (Modesto); Honorable Mention Cuello; All-Freshmen Honorable Mention Tyree Gill (Sacramento) and Coach of the Year Dallas Jensen. 

Cuello averaged 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.1 blocks.

Argandar averaged 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.3 blocks.

Gill averaged 6.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.1 blocks.

Jensen led Sequoias to its second straight CVC title and a third consecutive playoff berth in a championship season since his arrival before the 2019-2020 school year.

The Giants' men reached the state's Final Eight for the third straight championship season last year, reaching the semifinals before losing 71-65 to eventual state champion San Francisco. Sequoias has not won a state championship since 1982.