By John Crumpacker
WCC Columnist
 
As coaches whose teams lost in the second round of the West Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament, Molly Goodenbour and Bill Carr know the significance of playing 18 league games. Every game counts.

“The 18 games we play in conference are very valuable because you want as much rest as possible in the tournament,’’ Carr said.

“You get your seed based on what you accomplished during the year,’’ Goodenbour said. “We were a nine. We were in a tough position.’’

On Friday at the Orleans Arena, 5 Loyola Marymount beat 9 San Francisco 66-45 to move on to Saturday’s quarterfinals vs. 4 Saint Mary’s while 6 Pacific put an end to 7 Santa Clara’s season with a 76-60 win. The Tigers now take on 3 Pepperdine.

While Pacific tries to catch some rest after playing on Friday, the Waves come in rested as the No. 3 seed receiving a bye into the quarterfinals. The teams split during the season, Pacific prevailing 78-67 in Stockton and Pepperdine holding court in Malibu 96-76.

Asked what the Tigers need to do to be successful against Pepperdine, sophomore guard Valerie Higgins said without hesitation, “Shut down the league MVP. She’s an amazing player.’’

That would be senior forward Yasmine Robinson-Bacote, the WCC’s Player of the Year. She led the conference in scoring at 20.0 per game, with single-game highs of 47, 35 and 31. She also averaged 7.5 rebounds and recorded 22 blocks.

“They’re fueled by Yasmine,’’ Pacific coach Bradley Davis said. “We have to be dialed-in defensively. We have to slow down and harass (her). She’s a great player. It’s going to be a tall task, but we’ll be ready.’’

Not that tall. Robinson-Bacote is a modest 5-foot-11. It’s fair to say she plays above her height as the force that drives the Waves, who finished 19-10 and 12-6 in conference.

In the other quarterfinal, Saint Mary’s likewise comes in rested after posting a similar 19-10 mark and 12-6 in the WCC, losing out to Pepperdine on a tiebreaker for the third seed. The Gaels present a balanced offense with forwards Sydney Raggio (12.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Megan McKay (12.6, 7.4).

“Saint Mary’s is a tough team,’’ LMU’s Jasmine Jones said. “We have to rebound. Saint Mary’s crashes (the boards) hard. We just have to play hard. The team that plays the hardest wins.’’

Saint Mary’s and Loyola Marymount split during the season, each winning at home: Saint Mary’s 86-82 and LMU 69-56.

“There is no team in the conference not capable of beating any other team,’’ LMU coach Charity Elliott said. “Saint Mary’s is a tough opponent. They run a system and they run it well. It’s going to be a formidable challenge. It’s March. Anything can happen.’’

As proof, this is What We Learned from the second day of the tournament:

1. It helps to have a bench, even if it’s a truncated one. Pacific suited up nine players and needed nearly all of them. With Santa Clara refusing to go away in a tight third quarter, Davis sent in reserve guards Kaylin Randhawa and Lianna Tillman. They both gave the Tigers a needed boost late in the third period and into the fourth. Tillman hit a 3-point shot followed seconds later by a put-back by Randhawa at the third period buzzer, giving Pacific a 54-48 lead going into the fourth. Randhawa finished with nine points, Tillman seven. “They gave us a lift, energy-wise,’’ Davis said.
2. While Pepperdine has its Yasmine, LMU has its Jasmine. A starter at forward for the Lions, Jasmine Jones came up huge vs. USF with 15 points and 14 rebounds as three of her teammates followed her in double-figuring scoring. Jones also had 3 steals, 2 assists and 1 block. “We were totally determined to keep fighting and play for each other,’’ Jones said. “You don’t want this to be the last time playing.’’
3. To that end, LMU limited Santa Clara to 25 points in the third and fourth periods while putting up 43 to establish a comfortable lead. Bronco Lauren Yearwood, who was a presence in the post with 10 points in the first half, was held to just four points in the second half. As Jones said, “Defense is key.’’ LMU scored 15 points off turnovers and 16 on second-chance shots, indicative of a team willing to do what’s necessary to win.