Jeremy Balan, Sports Editor

After being injured in the first five minutes of the PCC women’s basketball team’s first round 100-65 win over Santa Barbara College (17-14), second team All-State selection Easter Faafiti will be returning in the Lancer’s second round match up with Palomar College (27-5) on Saturday.

What was originally reported as a possible strained arch on her right foot, has now been downgraded to a bruise, enabling her to return.

In the game against Santa Barbara, the Lancers (27-5) supplemented Faafiti’s average of 12.5 points and 7.2 rebounds with solid guard play and sharp shooting from three point range.

“Our guards played their best game [against Santa Barbara],” Head Coach Joe Peron said. “Kinyada [Johnson], Lynette [Jacobs], Melia [Basavand] and Anna [Magganas] all played well.”

Although their guards excelled against Santa Barbara, the Lancer frontcourt struggled, being out rebounded for only the fifth time this season.

Second team All-State selection at center and Lancer leading scorer Kieisha Phelps was also held scoreless until the 5:34 mark in the first half.

“We hope to get better in the paint.” Peron said, “That is one of our goals for sure.

Palomar, the sixth seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs, defeated Mt. San Jacinto (21-11) Saturday and has won 17 straight games, including an unblemished 14-0 Pacific Coast Conference record.

The Comets feature 5’10” guard Sophomore Sabrina Gonzalez, who was awarded first team All-State honors, averaging 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds on the season. Their second leading scorer is 5’9” sophomore forward Nikki Boone, who is averaging 15.8 points and 8 rebounds on the season.

The Comets match up almost perfectly with PCC’s normally superior height advantage and the Lancers have already begun to game plan on both ends of the court.

“They are a big and tall team,” Lancer sophomore guard Lynette Jacobs said. “We’re going to press and trap them on defense.”

Peron also plans to press the Comets on offense.

“We’re going to run more and get a few more fast breaks,” Peron said. “We’re going to need more production out of our post players as well.”

PCC hosts Palomar at 7 p.m on Saturday, but will lack a key part of their home court advantage with the absence of the PCC band.

The band is participating in a competition and will be unable to attend.

“We’re the only JC team that has a band and all the other teams hate it,” Peron said. “They are worth 10 points every game.”

Despite minor setbacks the Lancers head into the game against Palomar healthy and confident. Considering they have won their last four games by an average of 42.2 points, their confidence is not without reason. This sentiment is not lost on Jacobs, who led the Lancers with 27 points and 9 assists against Santa Barbara.

“We’re going to kill them,” Jacobs said. “That’s my prediction.”

Peron is not as confident as Jacobs and seems to be expecting a battle.

“I’m looking forward to an exciting and tough dogfight,” Peron said. “We’re going to have to come out and play.”