SRJC 70, Modesto Junior College 50
The Bear Cubs (24-2, 13-1) made their last trip on a rental bus with their men's team to tangle with the Pirates (11-15, 7-7) of Modesto Junior College. Lanie Lincoln got the Bear Cubs on the scoreboard when she put back her own missed shot. Ashleigh Barr's 2-footer off the assist from Meredith Gilbertson was followed 10 seconds later by Kiley Holland's basket. Lincoln's 3-pointer was matched by Hannah Parsons' shot from beyond the arc. Nearly three minutes later Lucca Lowenberg intercepted a pass and converted the layup at their end for a 9-5 lead. The Pirates went on a 6-0 run to go in front 11-9 at the 2:02 mark. The Bear Cubs turned the tables on their hosts by ending the quarter with 7 unanswered points on two free throws by Ciarah Michalik, Sheriene Arikat's 1-footer off the assist from Barr, and Michalik's 3-pointer for a 16-11 advantage.
The Pirates made two field goals to start the second quarter. Lucca Lowenberg's 8-footer at the 6:30 mark began a 7-0 run that also included Ashleigh Barr's 15-footer and Lowenberg's 3-point play on a drive to the hoop. Morgan Van Elderen tallied the next 6 points in a row on a 3-pointer and a 3-point play to close the gap to 21-23 with 4:26 on the clock. Two free throws by Ciarah Michalik and Lowenberg's 3-pointer stretched the lead to 28-21 with 3:08 left. Madilynn Coelho made the Pirates' last basket of the half 30 seconds later. The Bear Cubs added 5 more points on Michalik's 3-pointer and Sheriene Arikat's coast-to-coast layup after pulling down a deep defensive rebound and dribbling past defenders for a 33-23 halftime lead.
Kiley Holland scored the first field goal of the third quarter, and then Ashleigh Barr put back her own missed shot. Hannah Parsons made a basket, Ashleigh Barr banked in a 1-footer off of the assist from Sheriene Arikat, Victoria Montes put in a shot from inside the paint, Sheriene Arikat sank a post spin shot, and Montes scored again with 6:42 on the clock, cutting the Bear Cubs' lead to 39-31. A little over two minutes later Parsons made two free throws, and then Lucca Lowenberg swished a 3-pointer. After a field goal by Van Elderen, Arikat banked in a layup at the end of a fast break with 3:10 left, putting the score at 44-35. The Pirates made 3 more field goals in the period and Meredith Gilbertson a 2-footer off of Lowenberg's assist, as the home team cut their deficit to 41-46.
Fueled by pressure defense and multiple steals, the Bear Cubs sprinted out to a 17-0 run—one free throw by Ashleigh Barr, Lucca Lowenberg's 8-footer, Ciarah Michalik's driving layup after Lanie Lincoln's steal, Lowenberg's 3-point play, Lincoln's 3-pointer, Lowenberg's steal and layup, Alex Ditizio's back cut and assist from Lincoln, and two free throws by Ditizio—during the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter. Madilynn Coelho scored the Pirates' first field goal with 4:08 on the clock. Natalie Brown added two free throws and Hannah Parsons a field goal. Lowenberg scored on drive, Amira Manning made one free throw, and then Barr sank a 5-footer. In the final minute Lincoln swished a 3-pointer and Parsons sank two free throws, as the Bear Cubs ended up winning by a score of 70-50.
This was a tough battle for the first three quarters. The Bear Cubs took command during the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter, as they made 6 out of 9 shots and held their opponents scoreless. By the end of the quarter, the Bear Cubs had made 9 out of 17 shots (53%) while the Pirates were only successful on 2 out of 13 (15%). The Bear Cubs outscored their hosts 24-9 in the decisive quarter. Hannah Parsons led the Pirates in scoring with 13 points.
Lucca Lowenberg led the Bear Cubs with 22 points, 3 assists, and 5 steals. Ciarah Michalik scored 12 points and Lanie Lincoln 11. Ashleigh Barr posted her 14th double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Sheriene Arikat contributed 8 points and 7 rebounds. Alex Ditizio added 4 points and Meredith Gilbertson 2.