NO. 15 CSM FINISHES PRE-SEASON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAY WITH TWIN HOLIDAY WEEK WINS; HOME DH FRIDAY
Ranked 15th in the state, the College of San Mateo women’s basketball team finished non-league play with a pair of victories over ranked foes and an 11-2 record – the best among Coast North league teams. The Lady Bulldogs open Coast North play on Friday, January 7 against visiting Chabot College at 5 p.m. The CSM men will play the Gladiators at 7 p.m.
NO. 15 CSM FINISHES PRE-SEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAY WITH TWIN HOLIDAY WEEK WINS; HOME DH FRIDAY
Ranked 15th in the state, the College of San Mateo women's basketball team finished non-league play with a pair of victories over ranked foes and an 11-2 record – the best among Coast North league teams. The Lady Bulldogs open Coast North play on Friday, January 7 against visiting Chabot College at 5 p.m. The CSM men will play the Gladiators at 7 p.m.
After topping No. 19 Allan Hancock College, 62-58, on Dec. 29, San Mateo ran up its highest point total of the year to hold off No. 14 West Hills, 93-84, the following day at College Heights Gymnasium.
West Hills (10-4) narrowed a late CSM 10-point lead to just three points at 84-81 with two minutes left as Sade Booker-Honeycutt reached a game high 37 points on a put back for the Golden Eagles.
CSM freshman forward Chiara Brown responded with a put back and a fast break lay-up to place the Bulldogs in control at 88-81 with 52 seconds remaining – and she led the home team with 28 points and nine rebounds.
A corner 3-pointer by Jada Heights with 43 seconds left closed it to 88-84. but that was all West Hills could do. Freshman guard Erica Mendiola (out of Carlmont High) cemented the victory, netting five free throws over the final 25 seconds. She finished with 19 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
San Mateo had led at the half, 35-34, and after three quarters, 64-58, but the Golden Eagles kept fighting back. They took the lead, briefly, at 72-71, with 6:33 to play after a pair of 3-pointers by Booker-Huneycutt. A putback Forward Courtney Townsend quickly responded with a putback and the Bulldogs were in the lead for good at 73-72, with 6:17 left. They reeled off 13 straight points, including three's by Mendiola and Brittney Lewis (who finished with 17 points).
Lia Lilomaiava returned to action after missing several games. The 6-0 freshman out of Aragon High tallied ten points on 5-of-7 inside shooting from the field, raising her season average to 50.0 (No. 5 in the Coast North).
The 5-10 Brown leads Coast North players with 9.8 rebounds per game and a field goal percentage of 64.4. She is No. 3 in scoring with an 18.1 average.
--CSM won its first nine games of the season before suffering mid-December setbacks to No. 13 Butte and No. 1 San Joaquin Delta (the state's only undefeated team). The Lady Bulldogs responded with the twin post-Christmas wins.
San Mateo's previous season high point total came in an 80-70 victory over College of the Redwoods on Dec. 11.
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