Vikings go 2-1 at Mt. Tip-Off Tournament, beat Merritt 92-66 for third place

WALNUT – Long Beach City College got the 2022-23 season off to a good start thanks to a 2-1 showing and third-place finish at Mt. San Antonio College's Linda G. Smith Memorial Tip-Off Classic.

The Vikings, who entered the event ranked No. 6 in the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) Southern California Preseason Poll, opened the season on Friday with a 76-53 win over Citrus College, but suffered an 86-61 defeat to eventual tournament champion and North No. 6-ranked Butte College in Saturday's semifinal.

But the Vikings bounced back to defeat Merritt College 92-66 to close their weekend on Sunday in the third-place final.

Sophomore Aaliyah Carter averaged a double-double with 14 points and 11.3 rebounds over the three tournament games to help lead the Vikings.

Carter paced LBCC win the win over Citrus with a team-high 18 points to go along with 6 rebounds. Jaden Sanderson added 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals while Amanda Lopez posted 13 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Ariana Grimes came off the bench to contribute a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

LBCC and Butte battled in a close game during the first half on Saturday. But a 7-1 run by Butte to close the second quarter gave the Roadrunners a 36-30 lead that the Vikings wouldn't overcome.

Sanderson led Long Beach with 19 points while Grimes had her second double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Carter chipped in with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Long Beach wrapped up opening weekend with a big 26-point victory over Merritt for third place. The Vikings trailed 20-19 after the first quarter but outscored Merritt 15-4 over the start of the second to jump ahead for good.

Sierra Hill had a big game for Long Beach with a game-high 22 points. Lopez nearly had a triple-double with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Carter totaled 14 points and a game-high 19 rebounds for a double-double, and Grimes posted 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Long Beach returns to action on Thursday (Nov. 10) when the Vikings open play at the two-day Mt. San Jacinto Tournament. LBCC is scheduled to face Palomar College on Thursday at 4 p.m. and takes on Antelope Valley College at 3 p.m. on Friday.