Maria Mesa-Nauls had 14 pts and Samera Dorton had 10 as #9 Riverside (20-8, 8-3) nursed a short lead throughout the second half and held on for a 53-47 win at historic Wheelock Gym Friday night in Orange Empire Conference action.
Riverside finished the first half on an 8-0 spurt, breaking a 21-all tie, and held a lead throughout the second half. Saddleback got within a single point several times, but Riverside managed to hold on for the victory.
Early on, Saddleback took a 14-8 lead after a steal & basket by Christina Williams and a steal by Meaghan Curran that led to a basket by Williams. But Riverside rallied to tie the game at 17 on a basket by Rhiannon Smith, and took a 21-18 lead. A bank-shot 3-pointer from the right corner by Williams tied the score again at 21.
Then came the 8-0 spurt. Baskets by Marreon Belt and Mesa-Nauls made it 25-21, and then a pair of free throws by Smith made it 27-21. A steal & lay-up by Gloria Thomas in the final seconds of the first half made it 29-21 at the break.
When the second half began, a free throw by Mesa-Nauls pushed Riverside's lead to nine points at 30-21, and RCC also led by nine at 32-23. But Saddleback never let the lead get any larger, and gradually chipped away at the deficit.
A basket by Meaghan Johnson got Saddleback within a point at 31-30 with 14:07 left, but Riverside pushed the lead back to five points at 36-31 and led by five again at 38-33. Then Saddleback again got within a point at 40-39 after a 3-pointer by Justin Chacon and again at 43-42.
But Riverside never quite surrendered the lead. A steal & basket by Mesa-Nauls made it 45-42, and then Dorton picked up a loose ball in the lane and scored to make it 47-42. Riverside also led by five at 49-44 with under two minutes to play.
Saddleback got a 3-pointer from Chacon to get within two points at 49-47 with 1:53 left, but didn't score again. Shonique Williams scored on a putback for Riverside with 1:22 left to make it 51-47. Then Thomas scored after a steal by Dorton to make it 53-47 and finish the game's scoring.
Mesa-Nauls finished with 14 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts and 3 steals in a strong all-around performance. Dorton had the 10 pts and Thomas came off the bench for 8 pts, 8 erbs, 4 asts and 4 steals.
For Saddleback, Chacon led all scorers with 16 pts, and Audri Sargent had 11 pts and 7 rebs. Williams had 8 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts and 4 steals.
box score
Friday, February 12, 2010 - 5:30 pm
at Wheelock Gym, Riverside
Orange Empire Conference - Women
Saddleback 47:
3-Christina Williams, PG - 3/10 fg, 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
4-Jasmine Hamilton, SF - 2/8 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
22-Justine Chacon, SG - 5/13 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 16 pts
24-Kari DePaolo, PF - 0 pts
33-Audri Sargent, C - 3/9 fg, 5/9 ft, 7 reb, 1 stl, 11 pts
11-Meagan Johnson, F - 1/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 blk, 3 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
10-Cherreia Reeves, F - 1/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 2 pts
25-Meaghan Curran, F - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
55-Alex Mullen, C - 0 pts
1-Brittney Salomon, G - 2/7 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 4 pts
5-Nicole Rice, F - 0 pts
team rebounds: 10
Totals: 17/52 fg (.327), 7/13 ft (.538), 37 reb, 10 ast, 4 blk, 16 stl, 12 pf, 47 pts
3-pt fg (4): Williams 2, Chacon 2
Turnovers (29): Hamilton 8, Chacon 6, Williams 5, Sargent 3, Johnson 2, Curran, Mullen, Salomon, Rice, team
Riverside 53:
10-Arianna Oyebanji, PG - 1/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 3 pts
11-Alexis Fowler, SF - 0/5 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 2 pf, 0 pts
20-Maria Mesa-Nauls, SG - 6/13 fg, 1/3 ft, 7 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 14 pts
23-Samera Dorton, C - 4/11 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 3 stl, 3 pf, 10 pts
32-Crystal Vazquez, PF - 2/5 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
4-Sasha Shanks, G - 2/10 fg, 3 reb, 2 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
50-Shonique Williams, F - 2/4 fg, 5 reb, 2 pf, 4 pts
34-Lotolelei Franklin, C - 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Gloria Thomas, G - 4/8 fg, 0/4 ft, 8 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 8 pts
52-Rhiannon Smith, C - 1/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
13-Marreon Belt, F - 1/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 9
Totals: 23/63 fg (.365), 5/11 ft (.455), 48 reb, 12 ast, 2 blk, 20 stl, 17 pf, 53 pts
3-pt fg (2): Oyebanji, Mesa-Nauls
Turnovers (26): Oyebanji 6, Thomas 4, Vazquez 3, Williams 3, Fowler 2, Smith 2, Belt 2, Mesa-Nauls, Dorton, Shanks, team
Halftime Score: Riverside 29, Saddleback 21
Updated Records: Riverside (#9-South, #11-Calif) 20-8 overall, 8-3 in OEC; Saddleback 13-15 overall, 3-7 in OEC
Riverside finished the 1st half on an 8-0 spurt and led the entire second half, though Saddleback got within a point several times
