DAILY UPDATE.

COLLEGES

College of the Canyons

The women's basketball team will look to extend its Western State Conference Southern Division winning streak to 21 games on Saturday when the Cougars play host to Santa Monica College at 7:30 p.m.

COC (21-6, 8-0) is coming off its slimmest divisional win of the season, a 66-62 victory over L.A. Valley College. The Cougars trailed by as much as 12 in the first half and did not get their first lead until Janette Garcia hit a 3-pointer with 7:13 remaining for a 55-54 advantage it would not surrender.

Vonetta Lanier scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the second half to lead the Cougars.

- Gideon Rubin

The Master's College

When the Mustangs open their baseball season today at Menlo College in Atherton, the infield figures to be one of the team's strengths.

There are three experienced returning seniors: shortstop Ty Sager, second baseman Luke Kollmann and third baseman Matt Herwaldt. Sager was an honorable mention All-American after hitting .370.

One of JC transfers, Brandon Tisher from Yavapai (Ariz.) and Adam Thompson from Palomar, will step in at first base. The other figures to DH. The Mustangs' home opener is 2:30 p.m. Tuesday against Claremont College at Reese Field.

- Chris Cocoles

HIGH SCHOOLS

Canyon

Matt Nelsen has been the boys' basketball team's most valuable player all season, perhaps no more so than this week, when Nelsen scored 23 points in a victory over Hart to keep the Cowboys tied with Saugus for first place in the Foothill League.

Nelsen had already scored nine points when he injured his ankle midway through the second quarter. He returned in the third quarter and finished 6 of 7 from the field to lead Canyon to a 13-point victory.

The Cowboys play Burbank, which is winless in league, and next week play Valencia and Burroughs.

- Rich Hammond

Hart

The football team is in the process of finalizing its 2001 schedule. With one open date remaining, the Indians are scheduled to play host to Banning of Wilmington and Westlake of Westlake Village and travel to Palmdale and St. Bonaventure of Ventura.

Banning is the defending City Section champion and Palmdale won the Golden League last year. St. Bonaventure, with top recruit Lorenzo Booker at running back, has won 28 consecutive games and Westlake ended Hart's 25-game winning streak last season.

- Rich Hammond

Saugus

The girls' basketball team eclipsed the most successful season in school history Tuesday against Burbank, earning 20 wins in a season for the first time in school history.

Coach Eric Olsson already has the best winning percentage in the history of the program (.646) and is just eight wins away from tying the school's career record (39, Laurie Roland, 1995).

Olsson will again take the Centurions on the road tonight against a dangerous Burroughs team that defeated Valencia on Tuesday. The game begins at 6 p.m.

- Kevin Flavin

Valencia

Former Vikings baseball players Matt Dixon and Luis Valasquez have moved on to College of the Canyons and are trying to work their way into the Cougars starting lineup as freshmen. Dixon, a left-hander, is expected to be used as a reliever and Valasquez is one of four first baseman on the team.

They open their season today at the South Coast Tournament, which runs through Sunday.

- Heather Gripp