3C2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKET
CULVER CITY – The West Los Angeles College men's basketball team is headed back to the state championships after a one-year absence thanks to a big 74-43 win over visiting Saddleback College on Saturday in Round 3 of the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
The No. 5-seeded Wildcats held a commanding 40-21 lead at halftime over No. 20 Saddleback and were never challenged. Blake Lander scored a game-high 24 points while CJ Hardy totaled 16 points and 8 assists. Marland Harris added 10 points and 8 boards and Daniel Cooper contributed 10 points off the bench.
West LA reached the regional final game with a 95-88 win over East Los Angeles College to open its playoff run in the second round last Saturday (Mar. 2). Lander led all with 28 points, Harris scored 18 points, and Hardy had 16.
With an impressive 26-4 overall record, the Wildcats now head to the 3C2A State Championships on March 15-17 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. West LA is back at the state tournament for the second time in program history. In 2022, head coach Anthony Jones led the Wildcats to their first-ever appearance at the state championships where they reached the semifinals.
West LA, the South's No. 3 seed, is set to take on North No. 2 College of the Sequoias in the state championship quarterfinals on Friday (Mar. 15) at 5 p.m. Sequoias brings a 25-5 overall record into the contest. The two squads will be meeting for the first time this season.
The winner advances to Saturday's semifinals at 7 p.m. with the championship game scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
MEN'S 3C2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Quarterfinals (Fri., Mar. 15)
(3N) Yuba (28-2) vs. (2S) San Diego City (26-4), 1 p.m.
(4S) Cerro Coso (25-6) vs. (1N) vs. West Valley (30-0), 3 p.m.
(3S) West Los Angeles (26-4) vs. (2N) College of the Sequoias (25-5), 5 p.m.
(4N) Cabrillo (25-5) vs. (1S) Fullerton, 7 p.m.
Semifinals (Sat., Mar. 16)
Yuba/SD City winner vs. Cerro Coso/West Valley winner, 5 p.m.
West L.A./Sequoias winner vs. Cabrillo/Fullerton winner, 7 p.m.
Championship (Sun. March 17)
Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m.