Giants keep CVC women's basketball title hopes alive with win over Lemoore, setting stage for showdown with first-place Fresno City
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
College of the Sequoias women's basketball team captured round one of its retribution tour.
The state No. 25-ranked Giants avenged one of their two losses from the first round of Central Valley Conference play with a 70-65 victory over No. 19 Lemoore on Feb. 7 at Porter Field House.
Reigning CVC champion Sequoias lost 75-56 at Lemoore on Jan. 14 to snap a 15-game conference winning streak that spanned parts of three seasons.
"I felt like the first time we played them we were a little out of character and (Lemoore) played really good," Giants coach Tyler Newton said. "I felt like the girls refocused. We had a good game plan and for the most part we stuck to it."
Round two of the retribution tour is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 11, when the Giants play at CVC-leading and No. 11-ranked Fresno City. The Rams beat Sequoias 80-71 in Visalia on Jan. 17.
Fresno City (18-6 overall, 8-0 in the CVC) holds a 1 1/2-game lead on the Giants (14-11, 7-2) and Lemoore (18-7, 7-2) heading into the final two weeks of conference play.
"I'm super excited because they got one on our home floor and we want to go over there and take that one on their home floor," sophomore Gabby Brooks (Henderson, Nev.) said of the Giants' game at Fresno City. "We've heard those games are always super heated so it's going to be really exciting. We want to get that one on their home floor and knock them off."
Brooks scored the game's first points on a backdoor layup off an assist from Izabel Mendez (Caruthers High) to kickstart a first quarter that Sequoias would lead 20-17.
Brooks added eight of her team-leading 17 points in the second quarter as the Giants' lead stretched to 40-30 at halftime. Her 3-pointer with 6 seconds left capped a 9-0 run to close the first half.
The Giants lead swelled as large as 14 points (52-38) on a jumper by Kalysa Phanhsavang (Stockton) with 3 minutes and 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
Sequoias held an 11-point advantage (63-52) with 5:22 left in the fourth when Lemoore went on a 13-4 run, capped by Catherine Clemente's layup, to cut the deficit to 67-65 with 28 seconds remaining. The Giants had two turnovers and committed three fouls during the Golden Eagles' run.
Over the final 19 seconds, Demi Boykin (Marysville) made one free throw and Phanhsavang added two more to help Sequoias pull away.
"We've played the best of the best. We've seen presses and different things," said Newton, whose team has faced 11 state-ranked opponents this season. "I've got three really good guards. And rather than being fundamental and running our press break the way we're supposed to and locking into being solid, we kind of got sped up and we're tired and kind of being crazy. It just didn't work out. I told them you played a great 38 minutes, but you almost cost yourself the game in the last two, which is what we saw earlier in the year. Part of the growth for this team is just having to go through adversity and trying to figure it out. In the end, that was a huge win for us."
In addition to her 17 points, Brooks contributed four rebounds and four assists to the Giants' fifth straight victory.
Coming off a magical 2024-2025 campaign that included 30 straight wins en route to a 31-1 state semifinalist finish, Sequoias hadn't won more than three games in a row this season.
"It was definitely a little bit rough," Brooks said of the start to the season that saw the Giants two games under .500 at 9-11 following the loss to Fresno City. "But I feel like you can just tell in the way we're playing and the pace we're playing, that we're starting to turn a corner. It can only go up from here.
"We all have the same goals at the end of the day. So just coming together and trying to achieve those goals is what's motivating us right now."
Newton agreed.
"I told the girls, I feel in my bones we're starting to turn the corner a little bit and playing to more of our style," said Newton, who has integrated nine new players onto a 12-woman roster this season. "I thought we did a really good job defensively, especially in the first half holding them to 30 points. That's pretty good. We didn't do a great job in the second half. I thought we gave up a little too many points, especially in the fourth quarter. But it's tough when they are so aggressive to the rim and we're trying to play defense and it seems like every time they drive it's a foul. It's tough. They are good. That's why you have to be disciplined. Overall, I'm proud of the group."
The Giants received points from nine of the 11 women who entered the game, including 11 along with four rebounds, two steals and an assist from Boykin.
Sequoias also got nine points, four rebounds and three assists from Phanhsavang; eight points, four assists and two rebounds from Mendez; eight points, a rebound and a steal from Sydney Chesnut (Henderson, Nev.); six points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals from Nyla Anderson (Austin, Texas); four points, two rebounds and a steal from Olivia Gill (Woodland); four points, three steals and an assist from Vivian Moore (Central East-Fresno); three points and two rebounds from Maya McNeal (Marysville); four rebounds and an assist from Mallary Gonzalez (Hoover-Fresno); and two rebounds from Ava King (Bakersfield Christian).
Now the Giants' attention turns toward Fresno City. Sequoias will need to beat the Rams and have them lose one more of their remaining three games -- including a Feb. 14 date at Lemoore -- to have a chance of at least tying for the conference championship.
"We have to make sure we take our time and get our rest tomorrow and then we've got two good days of practice," Newton said. "Then it's our Super Bowl so to speak on Wednesday at Fresno if we want to give ourselves a chance to get a share of the league title."
