In a nail-biting matchup, Diablo Valley College women’s basketball powered through to beat Sacramento City College by a final score of 54-50. With the win, the Vikings advance past the third round of the NorCal Regional Playoffs and move on to the State Quarterfinals at Ventura College in Southern California, expanding upon the amazing season these extraordinarily talented women are having.

The packed DVC gymnasium was full of energy and ready to show support for the Vikings. Sophomore guard Daisha Abdelkader lead the way as she finished the game with sixteen points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals.

DVC didn’t have the best night in regards to their shooting skills. They started off the game very cold, missing their first eight shots of the game, and shot 36.2 percent for the game overall. There were constant lead changes throughout the game, but the Vikings defense managed to put them over the top. They placed constant pressure on Sacramento City’s passing lanes, ultimately forcing ten turnovers. Sacramento City College only scored eight points in the final period, and the Vikings defense forced two key turnovers in the last minutes to maintain a two point lead.

Regarding the key defensive strength down the stretch, coach Ramaundo Vaughn said “Those turnovers were huge in the win but that’s our defensive mindset that we play with that we refuse to lose.”

Then the conference MVP and Vikings guard Zahria Hendrix put the Panthers away with a spin move to finish a layup with her right hand, less than 35 seconds remaining in regulation. Following the win, coach Vaughn, Abdelkader, and Hendrix all gave thanks to the fans who not only showed support Saturday night, but all year as well.

The Vikings fought hard throughout the game defensively, which ultimately led them to coming out on top in the match. After the final buzzer, coach Vaughn said “This win was for the school, we had incredible fan support tonight, the energy was amazing and got to give Sacramento City College some credit they came ready to fight.”

After being asked the significance of this win for her teammates and the school, Abdelkader said “This win means everything to us after a couple years back falling short of advancing. This win means everything, to win this at home with the fans it means a whole lot.”

Hendrix voiced her thoughts on the fans and the opportunity of playing in Ventura next week: “This win is something we have been talking about for a long time, feels good to get the win. Having these games at home has kind of been like a reward of the hard work we put in the regular season, getting to play these games in front of our friends and family.” She finished by saying “It’s going to put us on a national scale, it can get the school and players more recognition .”