SRJC 43, Folsom Lake College 56
Tuesday evening the Bear Cubs (12-2, 2-0) hosted the Folsom Lake College Falcons (13-1, 2-0), who entered the game as the top-ranked team in the North while averaging 76.8 points per game. Both teams started the contest with a turnover before Jordan Washington caught Elle Picard's pass and banked in the 2-footer. Lexi Peters tied the score on the Falcons' next possession. The Bear Cubs scored the next six points on Kaia Eubanks' drive and pullup 4-footer, her drive from the top of the key, and Elle Picard's 10-footer. Jasmine Clee sank two field goals on drives around defenders. Eubanks banked in a 1-footer off of Hailey Webb's assist, Jada Tupou made a basket, Washington scored on a drive from above the free throw circle, and Sammy Schuler's basket at the 3:13 mark put the Bear Cubs' lead at 12-10. Clee added one more basket and Sydney Martin swished a 3-pointer to give the Bear Cubs a 15-12 lead by the end of the quarter.
During the first five minutes of the second quarter, the Bear Cubs scored eight points on Kaia Eubanks' steal and layup, Jordan Washington's drive from the top and left-handed lay infrom two feet out, Eubanks' 1-footer off of Shasta Vlasak's lob pass, and Elle Picard's left-handed drive, while the Falcons added a basket by Jada Tupou and a 3-pointer by Lexi Peters. In the second five minutes of the period, the Bear Cubs tallied five points on one free throw by Elle Picard, Hailey Webb's cut and 1-footer off of Eubanks' pass, and Picard's pullup 10-footer. The Falcons put in seven points on a basket each by Emily Bowman and Ava Schraeder and Nyah Fortune's 3-pointer. The Bear Cubs held a 28-24 lead by halftime.
Sydney Martin scored the first four points of the third quarter on a reverse layup and two free throws at the 7:58 mark. The Falcons then proceeded to take advantage of Bear Cubs' turnovers and 11 missed shots, as they completed the period with a 20-0 run to surge ahead 44-32 by the end of the quarter.
Kaia Eubanks took and made the Bear Cubs' first shot of the fourth quarter—a 1-footer off of Elle Picard's lob pass. The Falcons scored two field goals, and then Eubanks scored on a give-and-go play with Picard. Kelis Powell answered with a shot from beyond the arc. Jordan Washington's fast break layup after catching Shasta Vlasak's long pass made their deficit 38-51 at the 3:50 mark. Jasmine Cless caught a dump off pass next to the hoop with 1:07 left. Caitlin Baldwin drained a 3-pointer 10 seconds later. Nyah Fortune's 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining got the Falcons to 56. Sydney Martin's baseline drive with 17 seconds to go completed the scoring in the Bear Cubs' 43-56 loss.
The Bear Cubs shot the ball pretty well in the first half (13 out of 30 for 43%) and played tough defense. In the second half, played mostly without Jordan Washington, the Bear Cubs only made 6 out of 28 shots (21%). They gave up a number of dump off baskets to the Falcons, who penetrated with drives and found open players next to the basket. Nine Falcons scored, with Jasmine Clee the only one to reach double figures with 13 points.
Just six Bear Cubs scored with Kaia Eubanks leading the way with 14 points. Sydney Martin added 9 points, Jordan Washington 8, Elle Picard 7, Caitlin Baldwin 3, and Hailey Webb 2. Kaia Eubanks and Elle Picard each grabbed 6 rebounds. Abby Tacla made four steals.