Heading
into the College of the Sequoias
Tournament over the weekend, the
Cerritos College women’s basketball team
was boasting a 6-1 record and a Top 10
ranking in the state. However, that
ranking will change a little after two
close losses to go along with one win.
The Falcons (7-3) opened with a tough
61-58 setback to Solano College,
followed by a 57-44 win against
Porterville College. On the final day,
the team dropped a 55-51 decision to
Santa Barbara City College. Next up for
the team will be a 7:00 p.m. home game
against Orange Coast College, the
top-rated team in the state.
Only two players
scored in double-figures for the Falcons
in the loss to Solano, as the team had a
chance to send the game into overtime,
but missed their three-point attempt.
Sophomore forward
Maltresa Neely (Downey HS),
the team’s leading scorer, netted 11
points and pulled down a team-high eight
rebounds to lead the team, while
freshman forward
Mercedes Taylor (Gahr HS)
added 10 points, four boards and three
steals. Adding nine points, six rebounds
and three assists off the bench was
freshman guard
Arielle McClellan (Paramount
HS), while
Tiffany Wilson (Mayfair HS)
led the team with four assists and four
steals.
It was a 17-point, 12-rebound
performance by Neely in the win over
Porterville that propelled the team,
while Wilson (11 points, five rebounds,
three assists) also played well.
Sophomore forward
Genesis Lewis (Paramount HS)
accounted for 10 points, with freshman
forward
Mele Motuliki (Long Beach
Jordan HS) coming off the bench to
contribute eight points.
Against Santa Barbara City, freshman
Rachel Butler (Calvary Chapel HS)
drained a three-pointer with 1:10
remaining to tie the game at 51-51, but
the team could not score the rest of the
way. Roni Gordon scored for the Vaqueros
with 20 seconds left before Katie Randal
netted two free throws in the final
three seconds to secure the win. In the
game, both Lewis (seven rebounds) and
Wilson (four assists) scored 13 points
to lead the Falcons, while Neely (five
rebounds) also scored in double-figures.
Butler finished the game with five
points and six rebounds.
