Team Still Looking for Consistency, Split Results at the Eagle Invitational
Heading into December with a 4-3 overall record, the Chaffey women’s basketball team continue to try and find a way to put together a prolonged winning streak. For that to take place, consistency is still something they are searching for.
Heading into December with a 4-3 overall record, the Chaffey women's basketball team continue to try and find a way to put together a prolonged winning streak. For that to take place, consistency is still something they are searching for. With a 72-63 win over the Skyline College Trojans on Friday and a 52-63 loss on Saturday to Irvine Valley College, the team split their games at the Eagle Invitational at Mt. San Jacinto College. The Panthers now carry with them a 5-4 overall record.
The team continues to search for consistency, a word that the coaching staff has been preaching. Another word being thrown around is urgency. For this team to succeed, Rizea explains that each player must play with a sense of urgency. They also need urgency to be in proper help-side defense. Urgency into proper rotation. Urgency to box-out and rebound. Urgency to produce quality possessions. Lastly, urgency in taking care of the ball.
On Friday, the Panthers were inconsistent, mirroring previous games. "We did not play up to our expectations," adds Rizea. "However, we made crucial plays in the final minute to secure the win."
With two minutes remaining, Skyline's Jazmynn Sciancalepor made a layup to give the Trojans a 63-62 lead. This would be their final point of the game. Danielle Singley responded with a layup to put Chaffey back in front 64-63. On the ensuing inbound play, Aleksia Gadea stole the ball under the basket and scored, extending the lead 66-63. Gadea then blocked a shot and secured the rebound in the next possession. Jada Cuellar was sent to the free-throw line and made a free throw to extend the lead to 67-63. After a Trojan timeout, they inadvertently sent six players onto the court, resulting in a technical foul. The Panthers would make make five more free throws to put the nail in the coffin, defeating the Trojans with the final score of 71-63.
"It was a relief to finally see the momentum shift in our favor," adds Rizzea. "The game was a constant back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain a significant advantage."
Notable Performances:
Ty Peters set a new career high with 11 assists.
Mia Montejo came off the bench to go 3 of 3 from the three-point line.
Aleksia Gadea and Jada Cuellar contributed timely steals down the stretch.
Danielle Single was steady as usual
Following a well-deserved win, the team's performance against Irvine Valley College the next day was disappointing. "The team was unrecognizable," Rizea stated. "We were down by 21 points at the end of the third quarter."
It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the team started showing what they are capable of. They managed to cut the 21-point deficit down to 9. "Catching up with such a large deficit took a lot of effort," Rizea added. "We didn't have enough time or consecutive possessions to maintain the momentum."
On Saturday, the team suffered from uncharacteristic fouls, which sent Ty Peters and Fatimah Sani to the bench for most of the first half. Although the loss once again highlighted the need to execute fundamentals, Mia Montejo and Zoe Garcia played well coming off the bench. Jada Cuellar also showcased that she can be a spark plug on both sides of the court.
The team will travel to West L.A. on Wednesday, December 11, to end a long road stint of 6 games. After West L.A., the team will host three home games starting with Saddleback College on Friday, December 13 (7:00 p.m.), Mt. San Jacinto College on Wednesday, December 18 (5:00 p.m.), and San Bernardino Valley College on Saturday, December 21 at 1:00 p.m.