Three Schools Tie for Top Spot in WSC North

Allan Hancock, Cuesta College, and Los Angeles Pierce College all settled for sharing the top spot in the Western State Conference North Division. The three schools all finished 9-3 in WSC North play in 2015, for the first three-way tie in WSC North history in nearly three decades.

Cuesta College clinched a share of the WSC North crown last Saturday night with their 106-70 win at Oxnard College. Unfortunately for the Cougars they followed that up on Wednesday in their regular season finale with a 64-81 loss at Moorpark College which opened the door for both Hancock and Pierce.

The Bulldogs and the Brahmas each took advantage. Hancock started out the week with a 63-44 win at Santa Barbara to pull within a half a game of Cuesta, before tying them with a 102-50 win against Oxnard at home on Saturday night. Pierce meanwhile was idle on Wednesday and just needed a win on Saturday to tie for the crown. They got just that when the defeated Santa Barbara 85-40 at home.

For Cuesta it's the 10th WSC title overall for the Cougars, and third in the last four years. The conference championship also ties the Cougars for most in WSC History with Ventura. For Allan Hancock, it's their 4th WSC championship, and their first since 1999. As for Pierce, it's just their second overall but they aren't strangers to the success, having won their first just two years ago in 2013.

The three-way tie at the top of the standings isn't unprecedented when it comes to the WSC. Back in 1981, Moorpark College, Santa Barbara City College, and Glendale College all tied for conference title back when there were no divisions. Five years later, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and former member Taft College all tied for the WSC title in 1986.