The Moorpark College women's basketball team also looked strong Tuesday, when it opened its season with a 71-51 win over visiting Santa Monica. Twin towers Katie Lenik and Riley Abraham combined for 27 points and 17 rebounds.

Moorpark travels north for the Sierra College Summitt tournament Friday, when will face West Hills in the quarterfinals.

The only local team that has yet to tipoff its season is the Ventura College women's basketball team, which was ranked No. 2 in both the Southern California and state preseason polls behind defending state champion Mount San Antonio.

The Pirates get started Friday at 3 p.m. in the Vaquero Shootout at Glendale College. The opening matchup against Fullerton is a rematch of the 2010 state championship game.

The season has yet to start, but the Pirates already have a special honor this fall.

VC sophomores Hanna Burge and Eda Graham were both named to the 2011-12 Academic All-State first team last month. The Newbury Park and Ventura High graduates are two of the three members of the five-player team who earned perfect 4.0 GPAs last season.

Burge and Graham were honored from a pool that included 37 nominees who achieved at least a 3.2 GPA.