Delta’s women’s basketball team continues to excel this season as it continues to fight for the Big 8 Conference title and earn a spot among the top teams in California.
Obtaining results while putting on high performances in each game have ranked the Mustangs No. 1 in the state, according to the most recent women’s basketball state poll from the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) on Feb. 8.
Despite their current positioning, however, head coach Gina Johnson said her team still has things to work on if it wants to stay on top.
“We’re trying to push the ball up the court better and just in general take care of the ball and flow better offensively, and we also know we have to get better at rebounding,” said Johnson. “For how many games we’ve won and how we’ve been able to get by this year, we’re going to need to rebound better if we’re going to beat the really good teams down the stretch.”
Even as the Mustangs are seen by many as the state’s top contenders, the team doesn’t want to look too far ahead and limits focus to one game after the next.
“We’re taking it one step at a time. We did have our first loss [against Santa Rosa] a couple of weeks ago. We feel like it happened for a reason, we have to get better and hopefully we’ll learn from it,” said Johnson.
The team also suffered its second loss after falling 72-61 in their visit to Modesto on Feb. 8.
With the exception of the losses against Modesto and Santa Rosa, Delta has outperformed and outpaced its opponents throughout most of the season, accumulating a 19-game winning streak before falling to the Bear Cubs on Jan. 21.
The success of the Mustangs is due mostly to its powerful offense.
Delta is third in the state in total scoring (2016 points) and seventh in points per game (77.5 average).
Sophomores Donja Payne and Alicia Jones lead the way for Delta to get on the scoreboard.
Payne averages 14.4 points per game for her team while also leading the Big 8 in rebounds (10.4 per game) and field goal percentage (56.6).
Delta (24-2, 10-2 Big 8) will have to continue picking up wins to stay in the run for the conference title.
The Mustangs find themselves dropped out of first place by Sierra, who sits at the top of the conference with a 11-2 record and is ranked second behind Delta in the state polls. While Delta may have beaten the Wolverines, the title run remains close as both teams register two conference defeats.
For Payne, communication and trust on the court with her teammates is key for the team’s success.
“Definitely communicating on defense and having confidence in each other on the court, to make that extra pass and knowing when to shoot,” said Payne.
Jones is the Mustangs’ scoring leader, averaging 14.7 points per game and is the only player on the team to start in all of the team’s games so far this season.
Jones has her focus on clinching the Big 8 Conference championship before even thinking about playoffs.
“Our goal right now is just to focus on the Big 8 Conference and then focus on the [state] championship. We’re still improving, but with each game we’re getting better,” said Jones.
Delta seeks to win the Big 8 Conference title and will determine its final position in its last two home games against Modesto on Feb. 19 and American River on Feb. 24.