
SRJC 65, Modesto Junior College 59
Friday night in an important Big 8 matchup, the Bear Cubs (12-6, 3-3) hosted the Modesto Junior College Pirates (10-8, 4-2), who came into the contest one game ahead in the standings. Izabella Sanchez scored the first basket a little more than a minute into the quarter. Kaia Eubanks quickly tied the score on a drive. Sara Davis swished a 3-pointer, and then Ivy Gonzalez sank a 4-foot pullup jumper. The Bear Cubs took a 9-5 lead at the 5:11 mark on Eubanks' 6-foot fadeaway jumper, one free throw by Lindsey Arellano, and Eubanks' putback. After Marissa Renteri made one free throw, Gonzalez scored on a drive, and then Madison Duron hit a field goal. Two free throws by Emma Gilmore with 1:48 on the clock got the Pirates within one point, 10-11. Eubanks banked in a 1-footer after cutting baseline around a screen and catching Cece Solano's assist with 25 seconds left. Siena Musson drained a 3-pointer nine seconds before the buzzer to tie the score at 13-13.
After a little over two minutes of second quarter play, Ivy Gonzalez sank a 10-footer. On the Pirates' next possession, Madison Duron drew a shooting foul and made both free throws. Sydney Martin banked in a 2-footer, and then Siena Musson hit a 3-pointer. The Bear Cubs tallied the next four points on Hailey Webb's long field goal with her toe on the 3-point line and Lindsey Arellano's two free throws, while Musson's 3-pointer tied the score at 21-21. Gonzalez made a layup without having to dribble after catching Hailey Webb's assist pass over defenders from the back court, and then Emma Gilmore sank an outside shot. Kaia Eubanks got open on a low post move and banked in a 1-footer. Izabella Sanchez tied the score at 25 apiece with a pair of free throws with 3:02 on the clock. Marissa Renteri's steal and layup 41 seconds later put the Pirates ahead. The Bear Cubs finished the period with six unanswered points on Eubanks' 1-footer and two putbacks by Gonzalez to take a 31-27 lead going into halftime.
Kaia Eubanks scored the first basket of the third quarter on a putback in the Bear Cubs' opening possession. Over a minute later Sara Davis added three points on two trips to the free throw line. Eubanks' 2-footer off of Sydney Martin's assist and one free throw by Martin at the 7:05 mark increased their lead to 36-30. During the next three minutes Hailey Webb swished a 3-pointer, Eubanks a 16-footer, and Webb an 18-footer, to widen their margin to 43-34. Sara Davis' 3-point play with 3:44 on the clock closed the gap to 37-43. Eubanks banked in a 1-footer on a give-and-go play with Webb, and then Izabella Sanchez drained a 3-pointer from the top. The Bear Cubs finished the quarter with Eubanks'1-footer on a baseline inbounds play and assist from Lindsey Arellano and Ivy Gonzalez's 3-point play on a steal and full-court layup with 1:08 left. Sanchez made one free throw with 14 seconds remaining to make the score 50-41 in favor of the hosts.
Ivy Gonzalez began the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer. The Pirates responded with a 7-0 run on Sara Davis' basket, plus two free throws and a 3-pointer by Siena Musson at the 6:25 mark to pull within five points at 48-53. The Bear Cubs stretched it to 56-48 on Ivy Gonzalez's 12-footer off of Sydney Martin's assist and one free throw by Martin with 4:47 on the clock. Emma Gilmore sank a field goal, and then Gonzalez drove along the baseline from the left and flipped in the reverse shot from the right side with 2:17 remaining. Fifty-six seconds later Sara Davis drew a shooting foul and made one free throw. Kaia Eubanks scored the Bear Cubs' final field goal on a 6-foot hook shot with 1:27 to go, making their lead 60-51. Gilmore swished a shot from beyond the arc 26 seconds after that. The Pirates were forced to foul, and Gonzalez went to the free throw line with 0:27 on the clock and made both. Davis made
a field goal nine seconds later. The Bear Cubs inbounded to Gonzalez, who was fouled and again made both free throws. Gilmore drained another 3-pointer, and Gonzalez caught the inbounds pass and was fouled. She missed the first but made to second. The Pirates' last shot attempt was off target, as the Bear Cubs rebounded and held on to win by a score of 65-59.
The Pirates were able to keep the score close during the first three quarters by making 12 out of 15 free throws, while the Bear Cubs took only ten free throws and made just five of them. With the Pirates having to foul in the last minute of the contest, the Bear Cubs made six out of eight in the period, while they made three out of six. The Pirates put in eight 3-pointers and the Bear Cubs only two. Although the Pirates grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, they didn't score on any of their second chances. The Bear Cubs, however, put back four of their 14 offensive rebounds. Three Pirates reached double figures in scoring: Siena Musson and Sara Davis each with 16 points and Emma Gilmore with 12.
Ivy Gonzalez led the Bear Cubs with 27 points. Kaia Eubanks made 12 out of 21 shots to score a career-high 24 points. Hailey Webb added 7 points, Sydney Martin 4, and Lindsey Arellano 3. Lindsey Arellano led in rebounding with 7. Shasta Vlasak and Kaia Eubanks each pulled down 6 rebounds. Sydney Martin led in assists and blocks with 4 of each.