The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
Left fielder Lafu Malepeai returns to anchor the defending champion CSM softball team. Malepeai, in addition to being named Daily Journal Athlete of the Year in 2019, she was named 2022 Coast Conference, Nor Cal and state tournament MVP.
San Mateo County community college basketball rivalries continue this week, while spring sports teams get into action.
Skyline College has taken the 2023 lead in local basketball with a 3-0 men’s and women’s record vs. College of San Mateo and Cañada so far in January.
Men’s basketball
CSM and Cañada will be looking for their first league wins when they clash at College Heights gym on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Both are off to 0-6 starts in the toughest of the state’s 12 community college leagues, the Coast North. The CN has five teams ranked in the state top 30 (out of 100 total team), headed by defending state champion and No. 2 ranked City College of San Francisco (18-2 overall).
Skyline (10-10, 3-3 Coast North) visits second place Chabot (5-1, 12-8) on Wednesday, before hosting CSM on Friday, both at 7 p.m.
CSM had started 7-0 in November non-league play, achieving a top-10 state ranking. The Bulldogs have dropped to an even 10-10 overall, although playing close Coast North games throughout January — hampered by losing their gym, which was designated a San Mateo County disaster center at the start of the New Year.
Skyline has fared better in Coast play, tied for fourth place. The Trojans won a close first round contest at CSM, 75-73, and then handled visiting Cañada last Friday, 87-66, led by Ofek Sirkis with 19 points and Serra grad Julius Alcantara (16 points).
Cañada (5-15 overall) plays at Ohlone (14-6, 3-3) on Friday at 5 p.m.
Cañada has five players averaging in double figures, led by county pacesetter Miles Jones (13.6), who also has the most 3-pointers (57). Dominic Wilson paces Skyline scorers (13.4), just ahead of DeAndre Minor (13.2) –who has been scoring at a 16.2 clip in league.
Kiahn Nice leads CSM with a 11.8 scoring average and paces county rebound regulars (7.2). Justin Milch of San Mateo has 40 three-pointers.
Women’s basketball
The Skyline women are off to a 3-1 start in Coast North play (12-10 overall), tied for second with Chabot (8-14 overall), which they play on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Hayward. The Lady Trojans then host CSM (15-7, 2-3) on Friday at 5 p.m.
Skyline has posted a pair of solid wins — 63-42, over Ohlone and 67-44 over Las Positas — since suffering its only league loss, 62-43, to league-leading CCSF (16-4, 4-0) on Jan. 11. Skyline won its first round meeting with CSM, 68-65, in overtime.
Sophomore Lala Lautaimi leads Skyline (and the county) in scoring (16.1 points per game) and rebounding (9.8).
Fourth-place San Mateo dropped another close contest on Friday, 56-54, at Chabot. The Bulldogs led throughout the game, but they were outscored 14-6 in the final period.
Jayonnah Carter paces CSM in scoring (12.2) and rebounding (5.4).
State champ CSM softball opens season
CSM’s defending state champion women’s softball team opens the 2023 campaign in Bakersfield this weekend, facing a trio of tough Southern California community college foes. Friday’s contests are against Santiago Canyon at 2:30 p.m. and SoCal rival Mt. San Antonio at 5 p.m. On Saturday, the Bulldogs meet host Bakersfield at noon.
All three county baseball teams begin play
Baseball season begins Friday with all three county teams in action.
Skyline starts it at 1 p.m., hosting College of the Siskiyous. San Mateo entertains Laney College at 1:30 p.m. Cañada travels to Sacramento City College at 6 p.m. – and will play a second game there on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Siskiyous will make it a full weekend in the county, meeting Skyline again on Saturday at 1 p.m., then moving over to San Mateo for games on Sunday (1 p.m.) and Monday (1:30 p.m.).
