Photo by: Maddie Harrell

REDDING, Calif. – Shasta College's women's basketball team edged Lassen 78-75 in the final home game of the year Saturday to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

Freshman Jenna Wallace knocked down a layup with 6.2 seconds left to put the Knights ahead one. Lassen turned the ball over under the hoop on the ensuing possession while trying to go inside for a layup and had to foul to have a chance at a win. But freshman Riley Wallen knocked down both free throws with 0.1 seconds left to extend the lead to three and Lassen couldn't get a shot off.

Shasta has won back-to-back Golden Valley Conference games after losing the first seven. With a tough and successful preseason resume, and a win over Lassen – ranked 10th in the regional rankings – coach Jerry Brown believes the Knights could reach the state playoffs with an at large bid.

"If the season ended today we would be in but we need some help; American River is close to us right now," Brown said. "This gives us more of a chance."

Megan Collins scored a game-high 27 points for Shasta while Wallen added 23 points.

Collins and Kali Cummings fueled the hot start for the Knights, who led 25-17 after the opening period thanks to 11 points each from that duo and five combined 3-pointers. Shasta was successful against the Lassen zone, leading 36-23 thanks to a trio of 3s from Wallen but the Knights couldn't keep it up when the Cougars switched to man-defense and trailed 44-43 at half.

Lassen ripped off an 18-0 run from midway through the second to the mid-point of the third. But the Knights, trailing by as many as 12, weren't ready for the season to end. Wallen scored six points during a 9-0 Shasta run and Collins dropped in a fastbreak layup to beat the buzzer to lead 63-61 at the end of the third.

"They could have folded and I was on them about not giving me the effort that I wanted and expect," Brown said. "They snapped out of it."

Shasta held Lassen without a point for nearly seven minutes in the fourth, stretching the lead to eight at 71-63. Lassen stormed back behind its full-court press to make it a one possession game. A Wallace bucket put the Knights up 74-71 with 1:00 left. Lassen's Rionna Haymon made a shot down low to cut it to one with 35 seconds left. Wallen lost the ball and Lassen turned it into a layup for a 75-74 lead.

But Wallen assisted Wallace inside on an inbound play with 6.2 seconds left and Wallen made two free throws to hold on for a win. Cummings finished with 14 points and Wallace chipped in with 10 points.

Shasta College heads to College of the Redwoods Wednesday in the regular season finale as the Corsairs are looking to lock up the GVC title.

STANDINGS
Team GVC, Overall
Redwoods 7-2, 19-5
Butte 7-2, 21-6
Lassen 4-5, 19-8
Siskiyous 4-5, 16-11
Feather River 3-6, 12-14
Shasta 2-7, 14-12