Walnut, Calif. – The stadium was electric as the Mt. SAC Women's Basketball Team triumphed in an exciting 3C2A State Championship Quarterfinal matchup, defeating Sierra College 68-45. With this win, the Mounties improve to 27-4 and move on to the next round, while the Wolverines finish their season with a 25-5 record.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The game began with intense back-and-forth action, as Mt. SAC and Sierra College traded leads throughout the first half. Sierra struck first with a layup from Mikayla Bumgarner, but Mt. SAC quickly answered with a three-pointer and a layup from All-American Daisia Mitchell to take the lead. The Wolverines fought back with a layup from Dibora Leaf and a free throw to tie the game, followed by Ivy Samilton's layup and a three from Donnelli Allen to put Sierra ahead. However, the Mounties responded with layups from Mitchell and Armani Owens, tying the game 15-15 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter continued with multiple ties and lead changes. Owens kept her momentum going with a layup and two free throws to even the score at 19-19. Sierra regained the lead with a jump shot from Bumgarner, but Frances Potts answered with a three-pointer to put Mt. SAC ahead. With less than a minute before halftime, Leaf hit a layup, giving the Wolverines a brief lead, but Destiny King answered with a clutch three-pointer, giving Mt. SAC a 30-28 lead at the break.

The second half saw the Mounties take control. Mitchell and Taliyah McFerson each scored seven points in the third quarter, while McFerson also grabbed four rebounds. Sierra added eight points in the period, but Mt. SAC extended their lead to 50-36 heading into the final frame.

Mt. SAC's dominance continued in the fourth quarter as Aanisah Moncrief scored back-to-back layups. Additional layups from Naomi Acuna, Ryann Riddle, and Mitchell put the game out of reach. Although Katie Leeth contributed five points for Sierra, it wasn't enough to overcome the Mounties' strong second-half performance.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Daisia Mitchell (Mt. SAC): Game-high 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals, 1 block
• Taliyah McFerson (Mt. SAC): 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals
• Katie Leeth (Sierra): Team-high 12 points, 1 steal, 3 blocks
• Mikayla Bumgarner (Sierra): 8 points, 9 rebounds

NEXT UP:

The Mounties now look ahead to a semifinal matchup with College of the Sequoias on Saturday, March 15, at 7:00 PM. COS remains undefeated at 31-0 after a 77-71 win over Palomar in the quarterfinals.

NOTE:

This will be the third meeting of the season between Mt. SAC and COS, with the Mounties narrowly losing both previous games by just one point. Will they finally get the win and secure a spot in the State Championship Final? Come out and cheer these ladies to victory!

STAY CONNECTED:

Follow Mt. SAC Women's Basketball on Twitter @MtSAC_WBKB or Instagram /mt.sacwbk/

Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics Instagram /mtsac_athletics/ or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics

For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.