Cougars Set for Third Shot at No. 4 Fresno City in NorCal Second Round
Taft College heads back to Fresno on Saturday night for a high-stakes third meeting with conference champion Fresno City College in the 3C2A NorCal second round regional playoffs. The No. 20-seeded Cougars will look to build on the momentum of a first-round upset of No. 13 Skyline College as they take on the No. 4 Rams, who swept the regular-season series but were pushed to the brink in the teams’ most recent matchup.
Fresno City enters as the conference champion and host, led by conference most valuable player Alyssa Kem, making this one of the toughest assignments on the NorCal bracket. The Rams defeated Taft twice in conference play, but the second meeting turned into a nail-biter. The Cougars led by three points with just over a minute to play before Fresno City rallied late to escape with the win, setting the stage for a compelling postseason rubber match with a berth in the regional quarterfinals on the line.
Taft arrives in Fresno with confidence after a balanced team effort in the opening round. Guard Ella Waufle paced the Cougars with 12 points in the upset victory over Skyline, while point guard Jada Miller contributed eight points, five rebounds and three deflections, impacting the game on both ends of the floor. Forward-center Alesha Gordon provided a strong interior presence with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving Taft a reliable option in the paint against the Rams’ size and physicality.
Beyond that trio, the Cougars will look for key production from multiple wings and guards to keep pace with Fresno City’s firepower. Perimeter threats like Madyn Kassatly and Laila Gines are expected to play important roles as scorers and on-ball defenders, while versatile guard-forward Kimiko Kennedy gives Taft another option to rebound and defend multiple positions. With depth across the backcourt and on the wings, the Cougars will aim to pressure passing lanes, generate steals and turn defense into transition offense against the higher-seeded Rams.
The stakes add another layer to the matchup. The winner advances to face the winner of No. 5 Santa Rosa College and No. 21 Hartnell College, with a potential home game on the line for Taft if both the Cougars and Hartnell pull off upsets. Having already shown the ability to challenge Fresno City deep into the fourth quarter during the regular season, Taft now enters with postseason momentum and an opportunity to extend its run by finally closing out a tight contest against the conference champions.
