Delta’s women’s basketball team fell short of winning the CCCAA State Championship after falling to Big 8 Conference rival Sierra College on March 13 in what was a face-off between the two highest-ranked teams in the state.
The Mustangs had beaten the Wolverines twice in the Big 8 play, but were unable to get a third win against Sierra in the most important game of the season.
Delta Head Coach Gina Johnson said beating Sierra in consecutive games was no easy task, even if her team had the confidence of getting consecutive wins against the Wolverines in conference competition.
“Even though our team approached the state championship game with every intention to bring home the victory, beating another good team three times in two months is a difficult task,” she said. “We were motivated and ready for the challenge, but psychologically it brings about other challenges.”
The momentum was in the Wolverines’ favor thanks to a game-changing performance from Sierra’s Jesse Miller, who scored 33 points and was a headache for the Mustangs on the defensive.
“A few of the challenges we faced were the physicality of the game and Sierra had an outstanding shooting day from one of their sophomores,” said Johnson.
Both teams came into the state championship on winning streaks since the last time they faced each other on Feb. 15, with Delta (30-3) accumulating nine straight victories and Sierra College (28-3) picking up five wins.
Johnson’s team was trailing by 21 points at the end of the third quarter with Sierra up 65-44, a situation Delta never faced in the entire season.
However, the Mustangs fought hard and weren’t going down easily. Delta significantly cut Sierra’s lead in the last minutes of the game, but was unable to muster a comeback as the score finished 76-71 for the Wolverines.
Despite the loss, Johnson is proud of her team for fighting every ball until the last minute.
“Our team is very competitive and has not been in the position to be down by 20 points this past season. We were forced to full-court pressure on every possession to try and dig ourselves out of the deficit,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of our team for their heart, passion and teamwork to fight in the fourth quarter.”
The Mustangs showcased their resilience during the tournament.
Delta saw itself trailing by 17 points at the end of the first half against Irvine Valley College (26-3) and was able to come from behind to win 77-74 and advance to the state final.
This was Delta’s sixth appearance in the state Final Four and the first state championship game since 2009.
The team clinched the 14th conference championship in program history.
Outside of excelling on the court, being close to each other off the court was very important for the players.
Prior to participating in this year’s state championship tournament, the team posted a photo on its Instagram account remembering the 2020 season when the season was forced to shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Players on this year’s roster were a part of that squad and a dedication was made to those who didn’t have a chance to play for a state title.
“Most of them are third and fourth year sophomores,” said Johnson. “Our sophomores from 2020 never were able to compete for a state championship. Our 2022 sophomores were freshmen at the time.”
Their performance on the court earned them recognition throughout the state and more than likely got the attention of several NCAA coaches.
Delta had four of its players named to the All-Conference team, including forward Donja Payne who was selected Player of the Year in the Big 8 Conference.
Payne ended the season as the Mustangs’ lead scorer with 14.7 points per game. In addition to netting the ball, she picked up the most rebounds (11.3 average).
Point guard Alicia Jones was the team’s leader in assists (3.5 per game) and a consistent player on the lineup, being the only one to start in all 33 games of the season.
Freshman guard Maya Chelini was another key factor in the success of the Mustang offense with a 31.7 3-point percentage.
Payne, Jones and Chelini were also given California All-State honors and were ranked among the best players in the CCCAA.
Upon conclusion of the season, the head coach highlighted the success of her sophomores at Delta and praised them as one of the best group of players she has ever coached.
“What I am most proud of is that our sophomore class carries a 59-4 overall two-year record and will carry on a legacy in the Blanchard Gym. We will hang five banners for their success since 2020,” said Johnson.