Lady Monarchs look to climb Western State Conference standings

The women's basketball team rides a winning streak and looks ahead to face first place Glendale College. 

By, Jabes Pascual

(L-R) Jade Sims (10), Samantha Maldonado (42), and Vanessa Zavala (20) prepare for defense as Gizelle Moreno <CQ> shoots. Photo taken in the South Gym at LAVC on Jan. 10, 2024.

(Astrid Cortez | The Valley Star)

The Lady Monarchs have strung together four straight wins before their match-up against Antelope Valley College, and will be looking for revenge against Glendale College come Saturday. 

The women’s team helped Coach Monica Hang notch her 300th win with four-consecutive wins. In those contests, the Lady Monarchs outscored their opponents 326-248, helping them to a 5-3 Western State Conference mark.   

Valley defeated College of Canyons on the road Saturday 81-70 with three of its players scoring 20 points or more. Freshman forward Samantha Maldonado recorded a double-double, notching 22 points and collecting 14 rebounds. Madison Guerrero added 21 points, and freshman Laila Salazar scored 20. 

Before the Canyon’s game, the Lady Monarchs won their last three games in January. They defeated Bakersfield College 86-66. Mary Corbett recorded a season-high 34 points on the eve of her birthday. Corbett made 12 of 28 shots from the field and was 7 of 18 from the 3-point line. 

The two contests before the Bakersfield game included victories over West L.A. College, 75-60, and Santa Monica College, 84-52. Even though the Lady Monarchs have gone on a score run in their last few contests, they are also a defense-minded squad. 

“Playing defensively is my favorite,” Madison Guerrero said after a recent loss against Citrus College. “I was very excited to be in the heat of the moment playing defense.” 

The Lady Monarchs find themselves at a pivotal point in the season and will likely face their toughest opponent when they host Glendale College Saturday at 5 p.m. As of Feb. 8, Glendale sits in first place in the Western Athletic Conference with an 8-0 record.