Back to Back: Warriors Clinch Second Straight Conference Title

LONG BEACH, Calif. – For the third time in the last four years, El Camino College can call itself South Coast Conference champions.

Four players scored in double figures and two recorded double-doubles as the Warriors dispatched Long Beach 74-68 Friday night at the Hall of Champions Gym in Long Beach, Calif.

With the win, the Warriors remained undefeated in conference and have now gone 16-1 in conference games in the last two years with one game left this season. The conference title is the fourth in the program's history, with three of the championships coming in the last four seasons. The Warriors shared the SCC, South Division crown last year with Long Beach and won it outright in 2014-15. The program's first ever conference title came in 2005.

Hunter Noa led the Warriors offensively with 22 points on the night, going 5-for-12 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. She was also perfect from the charity stripe, hitting all eight of her free throws.

Kayla Bibb and Amiete Nyingifa each recorded double-doubles for the second straight game as Bibb logged 16 points and 14 rebounds while Nyingifa went for 12 points and 10 boards. Bibb also led the team with five steals.

Nao Shiota scored 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting and led the Warriors with four assists as the team dished out 13 helpers on 24 made baskets.

Doylebonet Walker led the Vikings and all scorers with 28 points and Janay Wellington added 19 points but no other player reached double figures.

The game was close in the first half as the teams were tied three times and traded the lead on six occasions. The Vikings never led by more than six points in the half but the Warriors overtook Long Beach on a 3-pointer by Noa with 1:49 left in the first half. The Warriors would never trail again nor let the Vikings catch them.

The Warriors built up the lead to 10 points in late in the third quarter and then held off the Vikings the rest of the way to secure the win and the title. The Warriors won the first three quarters by a combined six points with both teams scoring 24 in the final frame.

The Warriors will take six days off before they wrap up the 2017-18 regular season on Friday, Feb. 16 against L.A. Harbor at the ECC North Gym.