2/19/2011 Women's basketball team ends season with loss to Cypress
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team saw its 2010-11 season come to a close with a 65-53 loss to Cypress in the regular season finale Friday night at Irvine Valley.
The loss dropped Irvine Valley's record to 14-15 overall and 5-7 in the Orange Empire Conference. IVC finished fifth in the conference standings and is unlikely to make the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
With a win, IVC could have finished fourth in the standings and had a solid shot of moving on to the postseason.
On sophomore night, IVC got off to a great start against Cypress, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on a three-pointer by freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi and then a three-pointer by sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo. But Cypress then went on a 13-0 run to take the lead for good. Cypress moved in front by double digitis for the first time (22-12) on a lay-up by Debbie Chavez off a steal and a assist by Page Rhodes with 9:51 left in the half.
Turnovers did the Lasers in during the game. IVC finished with 18 in the first half and 37 for the contest. Irvine Valley pulled to within six points toward the end of the half and trailed, 36-28, at halftime. But Cypress held a double-digit lead for most of the second half and moved out to its largest lead of the game at 59-38 on a lay-up by Micaela Pickens with 9:21 to play.
IVC out-scored the Chargers, 15-6, the rest of the way to lost by 12. Fajardo led Irvine Valley with 16 points and six steals. Kashanchi finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and freshman forward Megan Blackwell had 12 points and six rebounds for the Lasers. Cypress was paced by Pickens' 26 points, nine rebounds and seven steals. Box Score
2/16/2011 Lasers play strong down the stretch, clip Saddleback
The roller coaster ride continued for the Irvine Valley women's basketball team Wednesday night. The Lasers followed up a tough loss at Riverside with a needed win over Saddleback to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Irvine Valley stayed a game behind Cypress and Riverside for third place in the Orange Empire Conference standings with a 52-43 win over Saddleback on homecoming and President's Cup Series night at Irvine Valley.
With the win by the IVC women's team, President Glenn Roquemore received the golden basketball trophy for The President's Cup. The friendly wager between the district college presidents was for bragging rights within the district. The IVC men's and women's teams won three of four conference games against Saddleback.
The Laser women's squad did its part with two victories. Irvine Valley nearly squandered a big lead in the game. IVC was up, 26-13, at the end of the first half after holding the Gauchos to just 22.7 percent shooting (5 of 22) in the opening half. Irvine Valley took its largest lead of the game at 30-13 on a layup by freshman guard Camille Rosales with 18:34 left in the game.
But then IVC lost its shooting touch and Saddleback went on a big run. Saddleback out-scored Irvine Valley, 29-9, over the next 14 minutes. A layup by Adri Sargent gave the Gauchos their first lead of the game at 40-39 with 6:07 left.
Another lay-up by Sargent with 4:26 to go made it a 42-39 Saddleback lead. Irvine Valley didn't go away, however. The Lasers answered with a three-pointer by sophomore guard Raycie Haley to tie it at 42-42 with 3:51 left. The big basket was the start of a 9-0 run that put the game away.
A lay-up by freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi and then two free throws by freshman guard Katrina Valentine put Irvine Valley ahead, 48-42. Saddleback scored just one point over the final 4:26 of the game.
Irvine Valley was led by Kashanchi, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. Valentine added 10 points with all of them coming from the free throw line. Saddleback (9-19, 2-9) got 14 points and nine rebounds from Sargent and 14 points and eight rebounds from Desiree Ale.
Irvine Valley, which improved its record to 14-14 overall and 5-6 in conference, hosts its most important game of the season Friday against Cypress. IVC needs a win to have a shot at the playoffs. Box Score
2/9/2011 Women's basketball team sees playoff hopes dim
The Irvine Valley women's basketball has some work to do.
The Lasers saw their playoff chances take another hit with a disappointing 73-51 loss to Riverside at J.W. North High Wednesday night.
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Lasers are in fifth place in the standings. They have a record of 13-14 overall and 4-6 in conference. Irvine Valley trails both Cypress and Riverside for third place by two games.
The Lasers got off to a tough start on Wednesday. Riverside scored the first 11 points of the game and eventually took a 15-3 lead with 9:45 left. Irvine Valley made a run with six minutes remaining in the half, scoring 15 points in those final minutes to pull within 10 at 33-23. Riverside, however, scored 12 of the second half's first 14 points to open a 45-25 lead and slowly pulled away.
Irvine Valley was led by freshman forward Megan Blackwell, who came off the bench to score 14 points. Riverside was paced by Heather Wolk, who had 21 points, and Marreon Belt, who added 17 points.
The Lasers shot just 29.8 percent (17 of 57) for the game and were out-rebounded, 50-30. IVC finishes the regular season next week with 7:30 home games against Saddleback on Wednesday and Cypress on Friday. Box Score
2/4/2011 Lasers get much needed win over Santa Ana
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team kept its hopes alive for the postseason with a 71-59 Orange Empire Conference win over Santa Ana Friday night at home.
Irvine Valley got 18 points from sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo and season-high 13 points from freshman forward Jackie Fa'asamala in the victory.
Freshmen Ashlie Washington, Megan Blackwell and Joy Hubbard each chipped in nine points apiece. Washington also had seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Irvine Valley led, 40-27, at the end of the first half after shooting 48.5 percent (16 of 33) from the field.
Santa Ana made a run in the second half and cut the deficit to four points (45-41) on a lay-up by Janelle Flores with 13:13 to play.
But IVC answered with a 15-0 run to put the game away. Fajardo hit a three-pointer with 9:10 left to put Irvine Valley ahead, 60-41.
The Lasers shot 45.6 percent (26 of 57) for the game and finished with 19 assists among their 26 made baskets. Freshman Camille Rosales and sophomore Raycie Haley each had five assists for Irvine Valley. IVC improved its record to 13-13 overall and 4-5 in conference.
The Lasers are currently in fifth place in conference, a game behind Riverside for fourth. IVC plays at Riverside Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Box Score
2/2/2011 Women's basketball team can't close against Orange Coast
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team lost a heartbreaker Wednesday night, falling to Orange Coast, 65-59, in overtime in an Orange Empire Conference game at home.
Orange Coast didn’t take its first lead of the game until the extra period. IVC led, 32-29, at halftime and extended that lead throughout the second half.
Irvine Valley was up, 49-37, with 6:56 left after a three-pointer by sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo. OCC then went on an 11-0 run to pull within 49-48. A lay-up by sophomore guard Raycie Haley gave the Lasers at 51-48 advantage with 2:24 left.
And IVC was up, 53-50, with 26 seconds to play after freshman forward Joy Hubbard made two free throws.
But Orange Coast tied the game, 53-53, on a three-pointer by Sami Little with 15 seconds to go. IVC had a chance to win it in regulation after Fajardo was fouled shooting a jumper with one second left, but she missed both free throws and the game went to overtime.
Free throws down the stretch did IVC in. The Lasers were just 2 of 7 from the line in the closing minutes.
OCC took the lead for good just three seconds into the OT on a lay-up by Little. Hubbard led IVC with 15 points and seven rebounds, Fajardo had 14 points and nine rebounds and Haley ended with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
IVC was just 12 of 23 (52.2 percent) from the free throw line in the game and committed 24 turnovers to Orange Coast’s 13. IVC’s record slipped to 12-13 overall and 3-5 in conference. Fajardo leads IVC on the year, averaging 13.8 points per game. Haley is averaging 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds and Megan Blackwell is averaging 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. IVC is shooting 36.1 percent from the field and scoring 64.8 points a game. Box Score
1/30/2011 IVC basketball team hosting Annual Pink Game Feb. 2
When the Irvine Valley women’s basketball team hosts Orange Coast on Wednesday, Feb. 2 in an Orange Empire Conference game, Laser players will add some pink to their normal silver and midnight blue colors in the battle against cancer.
For the second straight year, the IVC women’s program is having a fundraising game to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Research Fund. Yow was the legendary coach of the North Carolina State women’s basketball team from 1975 to 2009.
A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, she had more than 700 career wins before dying from stage 4 breast cancer on Jan. 24, 2009.
Irvine Valley will be charging a $5 admission for all of those in attendance at the women’s game, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Players will be wearing pink shoelaces and pink shooting shirts to support the cause and those in attendance are being asked to wear pink.
Bracelets and pink shirts will also be handed out at the door with donations for each encouraged. All proceeded will benefit the Yow Fund.
This will be the third meeting on the season between the OCC and IVC women’s teams. Orange Coast beat Irvine Valley, 62-59, in the finals of the IVC Women’s Tournament in December and then the Pirates defeated the Lasers, 62-54, in the first round of conference play.
Prior to the women’s game, the Irvine Valley men’s team, which is ranked No. 3 in the state, will take on Orange Coast at 5:30 p.m.
1/28/2011 Lasers fall at Fullerton, prepare for big week at home
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team slipped to below .500 in Orange Empire Conference play after a 71-52 loss at Fullerton on Friday night.
The loss dropped IVC's record to 12-12 overall and 3-4 in conference. IVC fell from a tie for third in the standings to fifth - a game behind Riverside and a half game behind Cypress, which had a bye on Friday.
The Lasers drew first blood against Fullerton, which was ranked No. 2 in the state, scoring the first four points of the game. But it didn't last.
Fullerton went on a 28-10 run and by halftime led, 38-21. Fullerton led by as many as 30 points in the second half before winning by 19. The Hornets shot 50.0 percent from the floor in the game to IVC's 36.5 percent.
Sophomore center Tyne McClure led Irvine Valley with 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field. Sophomore guard Raycie Haley and freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi each added 10 points. Kashanchi also had nine rebounds.
Irvine Valley has a big week coming up with two home games. First it takes on Orange Coast, which is in second in the conference and ranked 12th in the state this week.
It is also IVC's Annual Pink Game benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Research Fund. Admission is $5 for the 7:30 contest for all in attendance with proceeds going to the charity. The Lasers then take on Santa Ana on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Box Score
1/26/2011 Women's basketball team gets important win at Cypress
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team came up with one of its biggest wins of the season Wednesday night. The Lasers made a late run to knock off Cypress, 69-65, in an Orange Empire Conference game at Cypress.
The win kept Irvine Valley right in the middle of the conference standings. IVC (12-11 overall and 3-3 in conference) is in a tie for third place in conference with Cypress and Riverside with 3-3 marks. Fullerton and Orange Coast are No. 1 and 2 in the standings.
The Lasers led big in the first half. They were up by as many as 16 points before going into the break ahead, 40-30. Irvine Valley held its double-digit lead for much of the second half. The Lasers took a 53-39 advantage with 10:39 left to play on a free throw by freshman forward Megan Blackwell.
But Cypress then went on a 17-0 run and took a 56-53 lead on a three-pointer by Elisepa Ete'aki with 5:49 to play.
Irvine Valley found its game and came back with a 13-2 run to go up, 66-58. Sophomore guard Raycie Haley hit a three-pointer to give IVC the leaad for good. And Blackwell followed with a jumper and then a three-pointer.
Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo hit two important free throws in the final minute to secure the win. Blackwell finished with 18 points to lead the way.
Freshman forward Joy Hubbard had her best game as a Laser with 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Fajardo and Haley each added 10 points in the victory.
IVC plays again on Friday at Fullerton, which is ranked second in the state. Box Score
1/21/2011 Lasers rally and then hold on to beat Saddleback
It was a must win game and the Irvine Valley women's basketball team got a victory. The Lasers defeated rival Saddleback, 48-43, in an Orange Empire Conference game at Saddleback on Friday night.
IVC, which was coming off a tough overtime loss to Riverside in its last game, improved its record to 11-11 overall and 2-3 in conference play with the win. The Lasers trailed, 24-17, at halftime, but went on a 13-2 run to open the second half.
Freshman forward Ashlie Washington grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to put IVC ahead, 30-26, with 15:33 to play. It was back and forth from there.
The game was tied at 30-30, 32-32, and 34-34. Saddleback regained the lead at 41-40 on a three-pointer by Briana Williams with 3:34 to play. And Saddleback led 43-42, with just 2:25 remaining.
But Irvine Valley out-scored Saddleback, 5-0, the rest of the way for the win.
Freshman forward Jackie Fa'asamala's lay-up with 1:55 to go gave the Lasers the lead for good. Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo knocked down four free throws in the final 10 seconds to put the game away.
Fajardo led IVC with 12 points. Sophomore guard Raycie Haley and sophomore center Tyne McClure each added eight points. McClure also had six rebounds.
IVC shot just 31 percent from the field for the game, but out-rebounded Saddleback, 44-35, and helped force 20 Saddleback turnovers.
Irvine Valley plays again Wednesday at Cypress at 5:30 p.m. Box Score
1/14/2011 Women's basketball team falls in overtime to Riverside
Freshman forward Ashlie Washington gave the Irvine Valley women's basketball team hope, driving to the basket, scoring and tying the game, 52-52, at the end of regulation.
But it was all Riverside in the extra period as the Tigers went on to a 65-57 victory in overtime over Irvine Valley at IVC in an Orange Empire Conference game Friday night.
Irvine Valley led by as many as eight points in the second half. IVC was even up, 50-46, with 1:40 to play in regulation.
But Riverside scored six straight points, capped by a lay-up by Brianna Byrd to give her team a 52-50 lead with 41 seconds left. Washington then came up with the game-tying lay-up with four seconds to play.
Riverside then out-scored IVC, 13-5, in the extra five-minute period.
The loss dropped Irvine Valley's record to 10-11 overall and 1-3 in conference. Riverside improved to 13-8 overall and 3-1 in conference.
The Lasers were paced by sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo, who had team highs in points (15) and rebounds (nine). Freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi added 11 points, five rebounds and four assists and Washington had 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks.
Riverside was led by Byrd, who had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Kerah Natividad, who finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
IVC was its own worst enemy in the game, turning the ball over 34 times (15 more than the Tigers). The Tigers finished with 31 points off of turnovers to IVC's 13 points. RCC also beat IVC on second hance points, 19-6.
Riverside won despite shooting just 28.3 percent from the field (17 of 60). The Tigers did out-score IVC at the free throw line (27 to 9). Riverside took 18 more attempts at the charity stripe.
IVC has Wednesday off from conference play, but will be in action again next Friday at Saddleback at 5:30 p.m. It is President's Cup as well as Coaches vs. Cancer night at Saddleback. Box Score
1/12/2011 Women's basketball team edges Santa Ana in overtime
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team picked up its first win in Orange Empire Conference play Wednesday night, beating Santa Ana, 74-69, in overtime on the road.
The loss kept the Dons winless in OEC play at 0-3 with a 4-12 overall record. Irvine Valley improved to 10-10 overall and 1-2 in conference.
The Lasers opened the scoring with lay-ups by freshman guard Katrina Valentine and sophomore center Tyne McClure to take the early 4-0 lead before Ashley Chavira hit back-to-back jumpers to tie the game at 4-4.
Sophomore guard Raycie Haley broke the tie for the Lasers with a jumper at the 16:08 mark as IVC continued to hold the lead for the next five minutes. The Dons retook the lead with 11 minutes remaining in the half at 12-10 on a Chavira three-pointer.
The two teams traded baskets up to a 20-20 tie before Becky Alvarez gave the Dons a two-point lead with 3:55 left. The Dons took a 30-25 lead into the half.
Santa Ana extended its lead to 10 points (38-28) less than four minutes into the second half on a Janelle Flores jumper. But IVC came back with a 11-0 run to go ahead, 42-40 with 8:29 to play.
The two teams traded the lead for the remainder of the game with neither team leading by more than four points as the second half ended tied 60-60.
The Lasers scored the first six points of overtime to take a 66-60 lead just over two minutes into the extra period. After extending their lead to eight points at 70-62, the Lasers let the Dons get back within three on a Chavira three-pointer.
However, it was too little too late as the Lasers held on for the win.
Irvine Valley was led by sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo, who had 19 points and six steals. Valentine and Haley ended with 15 points apiece. Haley added seven rebounds.
Freshman forward Ashlie Washington had eight points, five rebounds, five blocks and three steals and freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi chipped in seven points and five rebounds for the Lasers.
IVC hosts Riverside Friday night at 5:30 p.m. Box score
1/8/2011 Lasers start slow and can't catch up at Orange Coast
A slow start doomed the Irvine Valley women's basketball team Friday night in an Orange Empire Conference game at Orange Coast.
IVC shot just 21.4 percent in the first half and was down by 12 points. It was all too much to overcome as the Lasers fell to Orange Coast, 62-54.
It was the second win for OCC over IVC this season. The Pirates defeated Irvine Valley in the championship game of IVC's own tournament in December.
IVC's record slipped to 9-10 overall and 0-2 in conference after the defeat last Friday. Orange Coast improved to 15-5 overall and 2-0 in conference.
Irvine Valley made just six field goals in the first half to shoot the 21.4 percentage. The Lasers were also just 1 of 10 from three-point range in the opening half. IVC couldn't get untracked early in the second half either.
OCC led, 34-19, early in the second half and took its biggest lead of the game at 58-35 with 6:19 left. IVC closed the game out on a 19-4 run, but it wasn't enough.
Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo led Irvine Valley with 14 points. Freshman forwards Megan Blackwell and Melanie Kashanchi each added 11 points. Kashanchi also finished with nine rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Sophomore center Tyne McClure had six points and 12 rebounds for IVC.
Irvine Valley plays again next Wednesday at Santa Ana. Box score
1/5/2011 Women's basketball team plays Fullerton tough in loss
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team gave the defending state runner-up and this year's pick to win the Orange Empire Conference all it could handle Wednesday night.
Irvine Valley battled Fullerton, which is ranked No. 2 in the state in the latest poll, all the way to the end before losing, 59-57. Fullerton improved its record to 16-2 overall, while Irvine Valley slipped to 9-9. The Lasers followed their defensive gameplan and led, 30-24, at halftime.
Fullerton stormed out for the second half and went on a 15-0 run to open the half and take a 39-30 lead. But IVC chipped away and tied the game late at 57-57 on a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Raycie Haley. Both teams had trouble scoring down the stretch.
The difference ended up being two free throws by Fullerton's Rachel Hatch with 19.8 seconds left. A couple of turnovers late hurt the Lasers.
IVC was led by Haley, who finished with 15 points and five assists in 36 minutes before fouling out. Freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds and freshman forward Megan Blackwell came off the bench with 10 points.
Sophomore center Tyne McClure chipped in nine points, five rebounds and three steals.
Fullerton was paced by Hatch and Amanda Frost with 13 points each, Aunjanay Chambers with 11 points and six rebounds and Ashleigh Adams with seven points and 14 rebounds.
IVC out-rebounded Fullerton, 51-41, but the Lasers shot just 28.1 percent (16 of 57) from the field for the game and committed 26 turnovers.
IVC plays again in another conference game on Friday at Orange Coast. Box score
1/2/2011 Lasers win two of three at Foothill Tournament
Irvine Valley's women's basketball team won two of three games in a tournament at Foothill College last week.
IVC opened with a 73-53 victory over Butte. Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo led the team with 20 points.
Sophomore guard Raycie Haley added 14 points, freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi had 12 points and freshman forward Megan Blackwell contributed five points and seven rebounds.
IVC lost its next game to Sierra, 80-59. Fajardo (23 points), Haley (14 points) and Kashanchi (10 points) had solid games again.
Irvine Valley trailed just 37-32 at halftime, but was outscored, 43-27, in the second half.
The Lasers rebounded and won the third-place game, beating Los Medanos, 69-59, behind 21 points from Fajardo, 12 points and six rebounds from Haley, 12 points from Kashanchi and nine points and four rebounds from sophomore center Tyne McClure.
Haley was named to the all-tournament team for IVC.
Irvine Valley, which improved its record to 9-8 overall opens Orange Empire Conference play next Wednesday night at home, hosting Fullerton at 5:30 p.m. Fullerton, the defending conference champion, is currently ranked No. 2 in the state.
12/19/2010 IVC drops two of three in San Diego
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team finished up the San Diego City tournament with a 72-71 loss to San Diego Mesa on Sunday afternoon. The Lasers ended up losing two of three games in the tournament and saw their record slip to 7-7 on the season.
Irvine Valley began the tournament with an easy 85-54 victory over Taft last Friday. IVC led, 39-23, at the end of the first half and then out-scored Taft by 15 points in the second half. IVC held Taft to just 28.2 (20 of 71) percent shooting from the field.
The Lasers had four players score in double figures. Freshman forward Megan Blackwell came off the bench to lead the way with 21 points. She made five three-pointers in the game.
Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo finished with 15 points and seven assists, sophomore center Tyne McClure had 12 points and freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi ended up with 11 points. Sophomore guard Raycie Haley chipped in six poitns and a team-high 10 rebounds.
IVC then lost a close 66-61 decision to Phoenix College on Saturday in the semifinals.
The Lasers got solid efforts from McClure, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Fajardo, who ended up with 14 points and Kashanchi, who added 10 points and four assists. Haley contributed six pionts and seven rebounds.
IVC finished up the tourney with the defeat to San Diego Mesa on Sunday.
Irvine Valley let a three-point lead slip away in the final minute. Fajardo paced the team with 17 points, Haley had 15 points, five rebounds and six assists and McClure finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman forward Jackie Fa'asamala and Kashanchi each added eight points. Kashanchi also had a team-best 11 rebounds.
Irvine Valley has this week off before traveling to compete in the Foothill tournament next week.
12/11/2010 Lasers reach title game of own tournament
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team didn't win its own IVC Tournament for the second straight year.
But the Lasers still played some of their best basketball this season.
IVC won its first two games, including knocking off the sixth-ranked team in the state in the semifinals, before losing to Orange Empire Conference rival Orange Coast, 62-59, in the title game on Saturday night.
Irvine Valley opened with an easy 76-47 victory over Rio Hondo last Thursday. Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, freshman guard Ashlie Washington added 13 points and sophomore center Tyne McClure finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds in the win.
The Lasers then recorded their best win of the season in the semifinals on Friday. IVC battled back from being down by as many as 16 points early in the second half to beat Canyons, 67-61. Canyons was ranked eighth in the state coming into the tournament.
Canyons led, 40-24, with 16:52 left in the game. The Cougars were still up, 58-51, with 5:14 to go when IVC made its push. The Lasers went on a 16-3 run to close out the game and earn the win.
They tied it at 61-61 on a jumper by Fajardo with 1:34 to play. Two free throws by sophomore guard Raycie Haley gave IVC the lead for good at 63-61 with 1:07 left. Fajardo had 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists to lead the way.
McClure added 14 points and six rebounds and Haley had 11 points and seven rebounds.
Irvine Valley also came close to knocking off Orange Coast, which was ranked 17th in the state. The Pirates were making their first appearance in IVC's tournament.
The Lasers got off to a great start in the title game, making their first five shots from the floor to take a 11-4 lead less than three minutes in.
OCC then went on a 14-1 run to take a 18-12 advantage.
Orange Coast led, 35-29, at halftime.
Irvine Valley battled back again in the second half. The Lasers, who were down 10 points early in the half, took a 60-59 lead with 6:01 to play.
But OCC scored the next eight points and didn't trail again.
Fajardo, who was named to the all-tournament team, finished with 21 points for IVC. Haley had 13 points and McClure, another all-tournament player, ended with nine points.
Samantha Hansen, who was picked as the tourney MVP, led Orange Coast with 25 points.
Irvine Valley, which has a record of 6-5 overall, competes in the San Diego City tournament this week. The team opens against Taft on Thursday at 1 p.m.
Box score
12/11/2010 IVC Women's Tournament final day results
Consolation Final - Grossmont def. Reedley, 57-49 - After losing in the championship title game last season, Grossmont won the consolation title this year. Ariel Mee, who was named all-tournament, led the griffins with 11 points and six rebounds. Chelsea Maurer and Ashleigh King each had nine points, Nicole Harris finished with eight points and nine rebounds and Stevi Cooper added 10 rebounds. Reedley got 21 points from Michelle Anaya and nine rebounds from Taylor Smith in the defeat.
Third-place Game - Chaffey def. Canyons, 66-55 - Chaffey jumped out to a big lead in the first half and never looked back. The Panthers led, 31-19, at halftime. Arione Nabors led Chaffey with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Rosalind Barnes, who was named to the all-tournament team, finished with 12 points and Destinee Duncan had 11 points in the win. Canyons was paced by Tinky Dahte, who had 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Canyons shot just 32.3 percent in the game and was out-rebounded, 59-45.
Championship Final - Orange Coast def. Irvine Valley, 62-59 - Orange Coast held on to beat Irvine Valley for the title. OCC was competing in the tournament for the first time. IVC took a 50-49 lead with 6:01 to play, but the Pirates scored the next eight points and never trailed again. Samantha Hansen, who was named the tourney's MVP, led Orange Coast with 25 points and seven rebounds. Helena Robel, another all-tourney player, had 11 points and three assists and Amanda Deal added 10 points. IVC was paced by Ashley Fajardo, who finished with 21 points for the second straight game. She also had five rebounds. Raycie Haley added 13 points and five rebounds, Tyne McClure had nine points and Melanie Kashanchi contributed seven rebounds for the Lasers.
All-Tournament Team
Grossmont - Ariel Meek
Chaffey - Rosalind Barnes
Irvine Valley - Tyne McClure
Irvine Valley - Ashley Fajardo
Orange Coast - Helena Robel
MVP - Samantha Hansen - Orange Coast
12/10/2010 IVC Women's Tournment second day results
Consolation - Grossmont def. San Diego City, 70-50
Consolation - Reedley def. Rio Hondo, 54-46
Championship semifinal - Orange Coast def. Chaffey, 86-71
Championship semifinal - Irvine Valley def. Canyons, 67-61
Irvine Valley Women's Tournament final day schedule - Saturday, Dec. 11
Third-place Game - Chaffey vs. Canyons 12 p.m.
Consolation Final - Grossmont vs. Reedley at 2 p.m.
Championship Final - Orange Coast vs. Irvine Valley at 4 p.m.
12/9/2010 IVC Women's Tournament first day results
Chaffey def. San Diego City, 71-53 - Tamicka Mackall had 14 points and Rosalind Barnes and Tianna Jones each added 10 for the Panthers. Stephanie Scott had a nice all-around game with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and five blocks and Naijahlece Calhoun chipped in 11 rebounds to go along with seven points for Chaffey. Chaffey finished with 50 rebounds and 11 blocks in the contest. San Diego City was led by Katie Mayberry, who had 16 points. DeeDee Porter added 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals in 38 minutes of action. Amber Browner contributed 10 rebounds and nine points for the Knights.
Orange Coast def. Grossmont, 70-53 - the Pirates, making their first appearance in the tourney, had a balanced effort in the win. Four players scored in double figures, led by Alyssa Hanson with 14 points and Samantha Hansen with 13 points. Samantha Hansen added nine rebounds and three blocks. Sami Little finished with 12 points and Amanda Deal had 10 points for the Pirates. Grossmont got 10 points each from Chelsea Maurer and Ariel Meek. Maurer added nine rebounds. Ashleigh King chipped in nine points and four steals for the Griffins.
Irvine Valley def. Rio Hondo, 76-47 - Irvine Valley, which is the defending tourney champion, was led by Ashley Fajardo, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Ashlie Washington added 13 points off the bench and starting center Tyne McClure had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Rio Hondo was led by Jeanette Ramirez, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds and Doriann Quinonez, who had 10 points and five rebounds. The game featured 62 turnovers and 48 fouls combined.
Canyons def. Reedley, 69-54 - Canyons, the highest ranked team in the field, got 14 points from Kelli Lewis, 13 points from Jenny Lentz (5 of 5 shooting from the field), 12 points and seven rebounds from Jazzmyn Davis and 11 points from Jessie Allen in the victory. Reedley, which out-rebounded Canyons, 53-34, but hurt itself with 34 turnovers, was led by Katie Tomcheck, who had 13 points and AunDrea West, who finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Taylor Smith had a game-high 14 rebounds.
Irvine Valley Women's Tournament second day schedule - Friday, Dec. 10
Consolation game - San Diego City vs. Grossmont at 1 p.m.
Consolation game - Rio Hondo vs. Reedley at 3 p.m.
Semifinal - Chaffey vs. Orange Coast at 5 p.m.
Semifinal - Irvine Valley vs. Canyons at 7 p.m
12/7/2010 IVC Women's Tournament starts Thursday The sixth annual Irvine Valley College Women’s Tournament begins this Thursday.
The tourney features four games on Thursday, four on Friday and three contests on Saturday. The championship game is on Saturday at 4 p.m. There is a strong field of eight teams. Canyons, Orange Coast and San Diego City are new to this year’s event.
Irvine Valley is the defending champion.
Chaffey won the title the previous three years.
Canyons, Chaffey and Orange Coast are the highest ranked teams coming in. The Cougars, with a record of 6-2, are eighth in the state and tied for fifth in the South Region. Canyons has won four games in a row. It took three straight to capture the Ventura tournament two weeks ago, beating three tough teams in the process (Laney, Mt. SAC and Ventura).
The Cougars have four players averaging in double figures scoring, led by Dominique Turner at 14.3 points per game.
Chaffey has a record of 6-2 and is ranked tied for 13th in the state and ninth in the South Region. Orange Coast has a record of 7-2 and is ranked 17th in the state and 10th in the South Region.
It won the Cuesta Tournament last weekend, beating Citrus in the final, 60-59. The Pirates are led by Amanda Deal (14.8 points per game) and Samantha Hansen.
Irvine Valley is coming off winning the consolation title at the COD Tournament two weeks ago. And Grossmont just reached the final of the Charger Classic, falling to host Cypress in the title game.
11/28/2010 Lasers take consolation title at COD tourney
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team improved its record to 4-4 on the season by winning two of three games in the College of the Desert Tournament this weekend.
Irvine Valley lost its opener to Yavapai of Arizona, 73-68, but bounced back with solid victories over Victor Valley and Orange Empire Conference rival Saddleback.
IVC had four players score in double figures against Yavapai, but it wasn't enough. Freshman forward Megan Blackwell finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi ended with 13 points and five rebounds and sophomore center Tyne McClure and freshman guard Ashlie Washington each added 10 points. McClure also had eight rebounds.
The Lasers came back the next day with a 75-68 win over Victor Valley in a consolation game.
Blackwell again led the Lasers with 17 points. McClure and Washington each finished with 12 points, Fajardo had 11 points and five assists and sophomore guard Raycie Haley contributed 10 points and six rebounds.
Freshman forward Jackie Fa'asamala also had a productive game with nine points and seven rebounds.
Irvine Valley finished the tournament with a hard-fought 71-65 victory over Saddleback in the consolation final. Fajardo had a career-high 27 points in the win. Blackwell added 12 points and McClure and Kashanchi each had 10 points for the Lasers. Freshman guard Crystal Garcia finished with a team-high seven rebounds.
IVC will take next week off in preparation of hosting its own Irvine Valley Tournament Dec. 9-11. The Lasers open up that event on Thursday, Dec. 9 against Rio Hondo at 6 p.m.
11/22/2010 Basketball team wins one of three in Glendale
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team beat Glendale to start the Vaquero Shootout this weekend, but the Lasers finished the tournament with two losses.
IVC started with a 62-44 victory over host Glendale. Freshman forward Megan Blackwell led the way with 14 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore cente Tyne McClure added 13 points and six rebounds and freshman forward Melanie Kashanchi added eight points.
The Lasers then lost to Antelope Valley, 67-50. Kashanchi and freshman guard Ashlie Washington each had nine points for IVC.
Irvine Valley finished up the tournament with a 73-61 defeat to Chaffey. Blackwell had 20 points and five rebounds to pace IVC. Sophomore guard Ashley Fajardo contributed 17 points and three steals and McClure added 12 points.
Irvine Valley plays again this weekend in the College of the Desert Tournament. The Lasers open up againt Yavapai of Arizona.
11/15/2010 2010-11 IVC Women's Basketball Preview
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team is determined to follow up last season's 20-win season with another successful campaign in 2010-11.
The Lasers are young, but have the talent to do it, according to Coach Julie Hanks.
"It is definitely a new group," Hanks said. "But it is a great group of kids. We are definitely athletic. There is tons of talent. There is good chemistry and they work hard.
"We want to focus on improving with every game and practice. I like the effort I see. We will get better and I think be just fine by the time conference starts in January."
Irvine Valley has two players, guard Ashley Fajardo and center Tyne McClure, back from last year's 20-8 team that made the playoffs. The Lasers also get back sophomore Raycie Haley, who has missed the last two seasons with injuries.
Fajardo is the lone returning starter. She averaged 8.0 points last year and led the team in three-pointers made as a shooting guard.
"Ashley will have to play some at the point guard position, which will help her all-around game," Hanks said. "She needs to be aware of the clock and of game management and just run the point for us. We know she can do it. She has the skills and the temperament to be a good point guard.
"Look for her to be a factor this season, not just scoring points but also contributing everywhere else."
Hanks said McClure is by far the team's most improved player. The 6-0 post player averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds a year ago.
"You can't describe how much better she is this year," Hanks said. "We have really worked on her post moves and getting the ball and scoring. It is all about confidence with her. She has put in a lot of work.
"Look for her to make an impact around the basket and put up some huge numbers on the boards."
Haley will start at the other guard spot for the Lasers after battling back from a knee injury.
"I think these two years (out) have really improved her as a player," Hanks said. "Raycie can shoot the three. She can also cut to the basket to score and plays good defense. She is a player that will huddle the team up if things aren't going well. I think both she and Ashley (Fajardo) have taken on that leadership role.
"Raycie knows the game, and I expect big things from her."
A group of talented freshmen also have to be major contributors.
That group is led by forwards Megan Blackwell and Melanie Kashanchi (Northwood High). Both are penciled in as starters.
Kashanchi, a 5-11 forward, can do it all. She led her Northwood team in every statistical category her senior year and was named first team all-league. She averaged 13.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game last year.
"Melanie can do a lot of different things for us," Hanks said. She can play inside or outside and shoots the ball extremely well. We want her to continue to play aggressively and defend."
Blackwell should be one of the Lasers' top outside shooters. She was an all-league player at Elsinore High last year and averaged about 12 points a game.
"Megan is a natural shooter," Hanks said. "She can really, really shoot it. I am sure we will rely on her scoring from outside at times. She is also very good on the boards."
Freshman forwards Joy Hubbard (Taft High) and Ashlie Washington (El Camino High) and guard Camille Rosales (Elsinore High) are expected to be among the first players off the bench.
Hubbard helped lead Taft to the finals of the city section last season and was a first team all-city player. She sat out last season at San Francisco State.
"Joy was a late addition, but a good addition," Hanks said. "She has skills that can help us battle on the boards and could help us down the road. She can shoot the ball well for her size from outside."
Washington was part of an El Camino High team in Oceanside that finished last season with a record of 21-5.
"Ashlie is the best athlete we have on the team," Hanks said. "She is so quick. She has great ability to be one of the best players here at IVC. She just has to push herself to play hard at all times."
Rosales will be the team's back-up point guard.
"She is our fastest player on the team with the ball," Hanks said. "I am confident having her run the team when she is in the game."
Forwards Jackie Fa'asamala from Oceanside High and Crystal Garcia from Tesoro High and guards Katrina Valentine of El Camino High and Coleen Mead from Newport Harbor High will also see minutes.
"Jackie is a great teammate and we expect her to contribute points and boards off the bench," Hanks said. "Crystal walked on to the team and we are happy to have her. She has been well coached and is a great hustler. She will play defense and go to the boards.
"Katrina has a lot of skills. She is a point guard, but will be playing a lot at the two guard this year and will often defend the opposition's top guard. Coleen can score from distance and we expect some productive play from her this year."
Hanks is excited about the season ahead and seeing her team grow throughout.
"This year's team will be better on the boards," Hanks said. "We have some big kids. "I think we can run a little more than we have in the past because we have so much depth. We are also more well-rounded offensively than we have been in the past. We don't have to rely on one or two players. We have the potential to get scoring from different players.
"The key to a good team is knowing that everyone is capable of helping. We don't have to rely on one person. These are the type of teams that I like to coach."
11/13/2010 Lasers fall to Moorpark at home
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team saw its record slip to 1-1 on the season with a 65-54 loss to Moorpark at home on Saturday night.
It was IVC's second game in two days.
And the Lasers weren't sharp.
Irvine Valley played from behind most of the night. Moorpark led, 32-25, at the end of the first half and did enough in the second half to get the victory, which improved its record to 2-0.
Irvine Valley shot just 30.5 percent (18 of 59) from the field in the game, including 28.6 percent in the second half, and was out-rebounded, 46-36.
IVC was led by sophomore Tyne McClure, who had 10 points and seven rebounds, including six on the offensive end, and freshman Megan Blackwell, who finished with 10 points.
Sophomore Ashley Fajardo and freshman Melanie Kashanchi each had eight points for the Lasers.
Moorpark shot 41.5 percent (22 of 53) for the game. The Raiders had four players in double figures scoring, led by Ashley Samson and Sidney Dobner with 14 points apiece. Irene Lopez added 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Irvine Valley plays again next week in the Glendale Tournament.
11/12/2010 Women's basketball team wins 2010-11 opener
The Irvine Valley women's basketball team got its 2010-11 season off to a great start, winning its opener, 79-69, over El Camino Friday night at home.
Guard Raycie Haley led the way with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes. It was quite a performance for the sophomore, who has missed the last two seasons because of injury.
Freshman Melanie Kashanchi added 17 points and five rebounds in her IVC debut, sophomore Ashley Fajardo had 16 points, sophomore Tyne McClure chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds and freshman Megan Blackwell contributed eight points and five rebounds in limited action because of foul trouble.
IVC shot 42.9 percent (24 of 56) from the floor as a team in the contest. The Lasers were at their best in the first half, shooting 46.9 percent.
IVC also did a great job of sharing the ball all night, recording 20 assists on 24 made baskets. The game did feature 54 fouls by the two teams, including 30 by IVC. The squads combined to shoot 70 free throws with IVC making 26 of 34.
Irvine Valley plays again on Saturday. The Lasers host Moorpark at 5:30 p.m. Moorpark also has a record of 1-0 after beating Sequoias, 53-43, last week.
12/14/2009 Basketball team captures own tourney title
After losing in the finals of its own tournament the last two years, the Irvine Valley women's basketball team was once again able to hoist the first-place trophy Saturday night.
Irvine Valley, ranked 15th in Southern California, knocked off Grossmont, 60-48, Saturday night to capture the Irvine Valley Women's Tournament title.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 10-1 on the season. It was the second straight tourney title for the Lasers, who took the San Diego City Classic title two weeks ago. Grossmont, which was ranked tied for 14th in the state and 10th in Southern California, saw its record slip to 9-3 overall.
"We wanted to defend our homecourt," IVC Coach Julie Hanks said. "We didn't like losing here the last couple of years. We wanted to reclaim this."
The Lasers played one of their best games of the season to pull out the victory over a tough Grossmont team.
IVC was especially good on defense, limiting Grossmont to just 28.1 percent shooting (18 of 64) for the game and 13.0 percent (3 of 23) from behind the three-point line.
The Lasers did enough on offense. They shot 33.8 percent (22-65) for the game, but made big baskets when it counted.
IVC also out-rebounded Grossmont, 51-44, and the Lasers were good with the ball, committing just 15 turnovers. They had 19 assists on their 22 made field goals.
Irvine Valley trailed, 15-13, midway through the first half, but tied the game on a basket by guard Ashley Fajardo with 10:27 left in the first half and then took the lead for good on two free throws by Fajardo with 8:59 left in the half.
The Lasers led, 26-20, at the end of the half.
They pushed the lead to 32-23 on a layup by forward Lamija Silajdzic with 17:20 remaining in the game.
And IVC went up by double digits at 38-27 on a basket by center DJ Butler with 15:16 to play.
Grossmont didn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Irvine Valley was led by Butler, who finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Silajdzic came off the bench with 10 points and four rebounds and sophomore Courtney Kollasch had nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Forward Sydney Hughes was named to the all-tournament team and Kollasch was picked as the event's most valuable player.
"I think we are starting to play really good basketball," Hanks said of her Laser team. "We have grown up a lot from last year."