Pirates open Regional playoffs at Cuesta

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's basketball will open the 2014 Southern California Regional playoffs at Cuesta College on Friday night, beginning at 7 p.m.

The Pirates (18-10), runners-up in the Orange Empire Conference, was given the No. 9 seed and will travel to San Luis Obispo to take on the eight-seeded Cougars (22-7), runners-up in the Western State Conference's North Division.

The Pirates and Cougars have not played this year, but that doesn't mean the scouting reports are slim. Both teams have bumped into each other at a couple of different tournaments this year, but the brackets never brought them together.

For the Pirates, this thin, but talented squad has surprised quite a few opponents this year. After missing the playoffs for the past two seasons, Coast and its nine-player squad have fought hard to return to the postseason.

Led by a quartet of scorers -- Dayanara Armenta (12.0 points per game), Chanelle DiCroce (11.8 PPG), Raechelle Davis (11.6 PPG) and Jasmine Matar (11.5 PPG), the Pirates enter tonight's game winners of eight of their last nine games. 

Davis, who came off of the bench as a utility player last year, has really improved her game in 2013-14, averaging a double-double for the entire season (11.6 points, 10.1 rebounds/game).

Sophomore Caitlin Bunting has been a floor leader for the Pirates, while Kelsey Dalton (6.1 points, 3.7 rebounds per game) brings versatility to the Coast lineup, while giving coach Mike Thornton's core players an opportunity to rest.

For the Cougars, they opened 2013-14 hotter than a firecracker with a 15-2 nonconference record. Since, then, Cuesta has cooled off a bit during conference competition (7-5), but making the long trip to SLO is never an easy task for any opponent.

A trio of sophomores lead the Cougars' offense that comes in averaging 71 points per game -- Mariam Zabinsky (18.9 points, 7.9 rebounds/game), Courtney Chadwick (15.9 PPG) and Katie Rodriguez (10.1 PPG). 

Barring any major upsets, the winner of Friday's game will play at top-seeded Ventura College (27-3) on Wednesday, March 5.