Santa Ana Angling for Rematch With Ventura in State Tournament

There’s no question Santa Ana goes into the community college women’s basketball state tournament hoping for another chance at Ventura.

Ventura (35-0) is the top-ranked team in the state and has beaten Santa Ana (30-3) twice.

But the only way the teams can meet is in the championship game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at University of the Pacific in Stockton.

Santa Ana plays in the quarterfinal round at 4 p.m. today against San Jose (28-6), which won the state title in 1998. The first two rounds of the tournament are at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton.

Santa Ana is led by sophomore guard Atari Parker, a strong candidate for Southern California player of the year.

Parker, a transfer from Fresno State, is averaging 28 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 5.9 steals.

Santa Ana also has one of the top forwards in Southern California in Stephanie Patten. Patten, the school’s all-time scoring leader, is averaging 19 points and 12.5 rebounds.

Forward Lisa Arcangel, the other sophomore on the team, is averaging 13.

The winner of that game advances to a semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday against the winner of a game between Canyons (25-6) and Shasta (31-3).

On the other side of the bracket, Cerritos (25-7) plays Foothill (30-5) at 2 p.m. and Ventura plays Solano (24-12) at 6 p.m.