Through 18 of 36 holes at the WSC Championships at Santa Maria Country Club, the Ventura College men's golf team is a strong second, shooting 377, eight strokes behind leaders Santa Barbara City College. Moorpark was fourth with 387.

Ventura's Russell Boring shot a team-best 70 in the first round, followed by Ryan Turner (73), Alton Anderson (76) and Zack Kanny (77).

Third-place Canyons finished the morning round in seventh place, which solidifies Ventura's second-place position.

Conference standings with 18 rounds to play -- Santa Barbara City 58-12, Ventura 54-16, Canyons 47-23, Citrus 44-26, Bakersfield 40-30, Moorpark 19-51, Hancock 16-54, Glendale 2-68.

The top three places in Monday's WSC golf match at Debell Golf Course in Glendale were separated by a single stroke, as Canyons (369) edged Ventura (370) and Santa Barbara City (371).

Ventura's Zack Kanny earned the match medal with a 69, which moved him into fourth in the WSC's individual standings at 72.75 per round.

Ventura (25-10) sits five matches behind co-leaders Canyons and Santa Barbara (30-5) entering Monday's home match at Saticoy Country Club.

WOMEN

Southern California

No. 2 Ventura 77, No. 7 Canyons 51: Perfect balance puts VC in state tournament by Joe Curley and Cougars corralled by Pirates by Kevin Damore, Santa Clarita Signal.

No. 1 Mount SAC 62, No. 9 Fullerton 44: Fresno is next stop for Mounties by John Honell, San Gabriel Valley News.

No. 3 Antelope Valley 74, No. 11 Cypress 62: Antelope Valley Press story to come.

No. 4 Pasadena City 85, No. 12 San Bernardino Valley 68: Pasadena City puts away SBVC by Mario Aguirre, Pasadena Star News.

Northern California

No. 1 San Franciso 70, No. No. 9 Skyline 59

No. 2 San Joaquin Delta 87, No. 7 Ohlone 60: Delta earns twin trips to state by Mark Godi, Stockton Record.

No. 3 Foothill 64, No. 6 Santa Rosa 59: Owls return to Elite 8 by Greg Lydon, San Jose Mercury News.

No. 4 Fresno 65, No. 5 Sierra 52: Fresno City men have X on back by Ken Robison, Fresno Bee.

MEN

Southern California

No. 1 Saddleback 63, No. 8 Chaffey 61: Long shot sinks Chaffey men's season by Martin Henderson, Daily Bulletin, and Gauchos head to State Championship on the back of T.J. Lipold by John Franz, Saddleback Lariat.

No. 7 Riverside 72, No. 2 Citrus 71: Citrus unable to rally past RCC by Nathan Cambridge, San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

No. 3 San Bernardino Valley 98, No. 11 Miramar 88: SBVC punches ticket to state by Doug Padilla, San Bernardino Sun.

No. 4 San Diego City 69, No. 5 Mount San Jacinto 66: "Also, Melvin Goins' three-pointer at the buzzer did not fall as Mt. San Jacinto College lost to San Diego City, 69-66," by Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Northern California

No. 1 Fresno 98, No. 8 Cosumnes River 70: Fresno City men have X on back by Ken Robison, Fresno Bee.

No. 2 San Joaquin Delta 54, No. 7 San Jose City 50: Delta earns twin trips to state by Mark Godi, Stockton Record.

No. 3 San Francisco 98, No. 6 Yuba 87: 49ers ousted in San Francisco by Ryan Klocke, Yuba Appeal-Democrat.

No. 5 Reedley 58, No. 4 Ohlone 57: Fresno City men have X on back by Ken Robison, Fresno Bee.

Saturday's regional final at Ventura College should be quite a game.

Perhaps nobody has been better in transition this year than the 32-0 Ventura College women's basketball team. Certainly, no team in California has been tougher to stop on the break over the past decade than College of the Canyons.

The two teams, who have 10 players averaging in double figures combined, have also combined to win their last 46 games.

Ventura coach Ned Mircetic this week called the Cougars one of the Top 3 teams in Southern California.

It all adds up to the best of the eight regional final matchups across the state Saturday, a game that would have fit right in at next week's state championships in Fresno.

"I wish we were in another bracket," said Canyons coach Greg Herrick Thursday.
"When they're complaining about playing us, we're complaining about playing them."

It just may be the toughest game of the Pirates' season.

"I don't think we played very well (in Saturday's win over Citrus)," said Ventura guard Erika Ward. "We're going to have to play a lot better if we want to win Saturday.

"They like to run. We like to run. I think we're going to go back and forth until one team wears out."

Perhaps nobody has been better in transition this year than the 32-0 Ventura College women's basketball team. Certainly, no team in California has been tougher to stop on the break over the past decade than College of the Canyons.

Ventura guard Erika Ward summed up Saturday night's matchup.

"They like to run. We like to run. I think we're going to go back and forth until one team wears out."

"We're going to have to play a lot better if we want to win Saturday."

The beginning of the fallout from the 32-0 Ventura College women's basketball team failing to be seeded No. 1 in the Southern California regional playoffs arrived Friday, when College of the Canyons won its 14th straight game to advance to Saturday's regional final at Ventura.

"It's exciting to be in a regional final, never mind trying to beat a team that's undefeated," said Canyons coach Greg Herrick.

The fallout continued when the second-highest seeds in the other three brackets, No. 5 Palomar, No. 6 Los Angeles City and No. 8 Rio Hondo were all upset by a trio of teams the Pirates have beaten by an average of 19 points.

So Saturday just got interesting. Instead of a team it has already handled, the Pirates will face a showdown of the two dominant teams in the Western State Conference's two divisions.

"Of the top four seeds, we have the top remaining seed," said Ventura assistant Robin Hester. "So it is a tougher draw.

"Canyons is a very difficult team. They're going to be tough."