SRJC 71, Solano Community College 64
After their only home game so far last Wednesday and four days off for the Thanksgiving Holiday, the Bear Cubs (2-4) were back on the road, this time heading to Solano Community College in Fairfield. The Falcons (3-5) ended up with ball at tipoff and swished a 3-pointer less than 20 seconds later. Twenty-seven seconds after that Lani Lincoln tied the score with her own 3-pointer. Trinity Hawkins and Kierra Johnson each sank 2-pointers their next two possessions, sandwiching another Falcon 3-pointer for a 7-6 lead with 7:20 on the clock. The Falcons scored three field goals before Lincoln's 3-pointer at the 4:20 mark made the score 10-12 in favor of the home team. About a minute later the Falcons' Lexi Derf was fouled attempting a 3-pointer. She went to the free throw line and sank all three. Kierra Johnson and Lizbeth Zavala scored consecutive field goals to get to 14-15 with 2:20 left. The Falcons hit two 3-pointers in a row, the second one adding a fourth point when the shooter drew a foul and sank the free throw. Nearly a minute later one of the Falcons drew a foul and made both free throws. Kassi Agapoff drained a 3-pointer right before the buzzer to close the gap to 17-24 at the end of the quarter.
The Bear Cubs started the second quarter by scoring 11 unanswered points, beginning with Kierra Johnson's one free throw on the Bear Cubs' first possession. The next time down Johnson scored inside. Lani Lincoln drew a shooting foul and made both free throws. A minute after that Lizbeth Zavala dropped in a 3-pointer. Trinity Hawkins drew two consecutive shooting fouls and made three free throws to take the lead 28-24 at the midpoint of the quarter. Derf's second 3-pointer of the contest ended their scoreless streak. With 4:30 on the clock, Johnson intercepted a pass about 30 feet from the Falcons' basket and drove the length of the court to sink the layup. The Falcons scored a field goal, and so did Lani Lincoln on a drive. With 2:30 left, Trinity Hawkins caught the baseline inbounds pass from Lincoln near the basket and made the easy shot. The Falcons added two free throws with 1:49 remaining, and Daniela Bangsberg made one to complete the scoring with the Bear Cubs in front 35-31.
The Bear Cubs opened the third quarter like they did the second, by shutting down the Falcons and scoring the first 8 points. Trinity Hawkins scored on their first time with the ball, Kassi Agapoff scored a field goal two possessions later, and Kierra Johnson put one in their next time down. Lizbeth Zavala and Trinity Hawkins each made one of two free throws during the next minute to extend the lead to 45-31. The Falcons tallied their first bucket at the 6:30 mark and added another one on their next time on offense. Kassi Agapoff swished her second 3-pointer 25 seconds later. The Falcons then went on a 9-0 run to get to 44-46 with 3:10 on the clock. The Bear Cubs scored the final five points of the quarter on two free throws by Lani Lincoln, and her third 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 51-44.
The Bear Cubs had the ball to start the fourth quarter. Trinity Hawkins missed the first shot but pulled down the rebound and dropped in the putback. The next time down Lani Lincoln made a baseline back door cut, caught the pass from Hanna Morris, and got the ball up and in around a defender. Lincoln's next shot also went in—this time it was from beyond the arc—to widen their lead to 58-44 with 7:33 on the clock. The Falcons made two free throws 17 seconds later and then added two field goals and a 3-pointer to close to 53-58 at the 4:22 mark. Hawkins drew a shooting foul on a drive and made both free throws. Jada Scott did the same for the Falcons just six seconds later. Kierra Johnson scored two field goals in a row, the second on a sideline inbounds play, and then two free throws for a 66-55 advantage with 2:40 remaining. Lexi Derf drained her fourth 3-pointer, and Kassi Agapoff made one free throw with 2:03 left. The Falcons made two more field goals to get to 62-67 with 1:22 to go. The Falcons were forced to foul, which sent Hawkins to the line twice. She made one of two each time. The Falcons added their last points on a pair of free throws with 13 seconds to play. The Bear Cubs called their final timeout and advanced the ball to their front court sideline. Coach Campbell drew up a play. When play resumed, all five players did as diagrammed, which got Trinity Hawkins open to catch the long crosscourt pass from Lani Lincoln for an uncontested layup to complete the scoring in the 71-64 win.
Throughout the game, both teams put together scoring runs while holding their opponents scoreless. Overall, the final statistics for the two teams were similar in nearly all categories, except the most important one—points scored. Three Falcons scored in double figures: Lexi Derf with 15 points, Ashmeen Sran 14, and Jada Scott came off the bench to add 10.
Point guard Lani Lincoln, who played the entire game, led the Bear Cubs with a season-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers and 4 out of 4 from the free throw line, along with 5 assists. Trinity Hawkins had her second double-double of the season with season-highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds. Kierra Johnson also scored in double figures with 17 points. Kassi Agapoff added 9 points, Lizbeth Zavala 6, and Daniela Bangsberg 1. Kassi Agapoff came up with 4 steals and Lani Lincoln grabbed 8 rebounds.