Pirates surge to No. 15 state ranking with second-place CVC finish

Pirates surge to No. 15 state ranking with second-place CVC finish

Alberto Laureano scored a season-high 26 points to help lead Porterville College to an 88-82 win at Reedley College in its Central Valley Conference finale on Friday.

The Pirates won their seventh straight game and secured a second-place finish in the final CVC standings with a 10-4 record. Porterville is 19-7 overall with just one game left to play in the regular season. PC will travel to Los Angeles Harbor College on Wednesday (Feb. 23) to make up an earlier non-conference game that was originally scheduled for late December.

Porterville's impressive play under new head coach Amaurys Fermin isn't going unnoticed. On Monday, the Pirates climbed five spots to No. 15 in the latest California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA) State Rankings.

The Pirates faced a must-win game at Reedley on Friday to ensure its second-place Central Valley Conference showing. PC held a slim 41-40 lead at halftime and was able to pull out the victory.

Isaiah Josue posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Chirrag Sidhu scored 19 points and Chozen Amadi added 10 points.

PC will look to keep the momentum going at LA Harbor on Wednesday. Following that game, the Pirates can focus their attention on the postseason as PC will likely earn an at-large bid into the Northern California Regional Playoffs.