San Joaquin Delta women's hoops quest from 2020 continues with quarterfinals win

LEMOORE--It was a matchup of the California Community College State Players of the Year in North Region's Donja Payne of San Joaquin Delta and the South's Deajanae Harvey of Palomar. Harvey's 40-foot, third-quarter, buzzer beater, 3-pointer momentarily gave the South #4 Comets a 56-55 lead. But in the fourth quarter, it was the North #1 seed and state #1-ranked Mustangs' supporting cast that played tremendous halfcourt defense in defeating Palomar, 72-66, in the quarterfinals of the CCCAA Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday.

Delta advances to the state semifinals on Saturday as it will face South #2 Irvine Valley, a 56-48 winner over Butte in an earlier quarterfinal. The Mustangs were the favorites going into the 2020 state tournament at 29-1 and in the midst of a 22-game win streak before their hopes of a state title were dashed and the tournament abruptly cancelled due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Delta (28-2) led 24-17 after one quarter and 38-33 at halftime before Palomar came back from a 7-point deficit to take the lead on Harvey's bomb. In the fourth quarter, Delta shut down the state's #2-ranked offense to no points over the first 4:42 of the period as Payne, All-State Second Team guard Alicia Jones, All-State Third Team guard Maya Chelini, and guards Trena Rathjen, Sarah Ruiz, and Breaana Grigsby silenced the high-octane Comets.

Full article: San Joaquin Delta women's hoops quest from 2020 continues with quarterfinals win - CCCAA (cccaasports.org)