SRJC 72, College of the Redwoods 50
The Bear Cubs are hosting a 4-team crossover tournament featuring two Golden Valley teams, the Corsairs (7-3) of College of the Redwoods and the Golden Eagles (6-4) of Feather River College. The College of San Mateo Bulldogs (6-0) is the fourth team, after stepping in to replace the Cosumnes River Hawks from the Big 8. In the first game of the tournament, San Mateo defeated Feather River in a tight game from start to finish by a score of 54-49.
The Bear Cubs (4-3) opened tournament play against the Corsairs with Ashleigh Barr taking and making the first shot of the contest from point blank range after catching the assist from Kierra Johnson. The Corsairs tied the score 29 seconds later. Kierra Johnson scored inside on a pass from Lizeth Zavala. Ashley Quigley, who made the first field goal for the Corsairs, then sank a 3-pointer. Barr sank a 4-footer on a feed from Johnson for a 6-5 lead with 7:49 on the clock. Rachel Valdez hit another 3-pointer for the Corsairs 38 seconds after that. Neither team scored again until the Valdez's 3-pointer with 1:46 left in the period for an 11-6 advantage. After missing 11 shots in a row, the Bear Cubs made three out of four in the remaining time—two by Barr and one by Johnson—for a 12-11 lead.
Ashleigh Barr scored the first basket of the second quarter like she did in the first—inside on a pass from Kierra Johnson. Gracie Betts' 3-pointer tied the score at 14. After Barr's basket, the Bear Cubs missed their next four shots, and then made four in a row—Barr's putback and then her 10-footer, Kierra Johnson's fast break layup on a long pass from Alex Ditizio, and Trinity Hawkins' drive—to jump ahead 24-18 at the 6:08 mark. The Corsairs outscored the Bear Cubs 8-3 during the next three minutes to pull within a point at 26-27. The Bear Cubs' defense did not give up any more baskets, just two free throws, while offensively Trinity Hawkins made two free throws and two field goals, Tal Webb hit one free throw, and Ashleigh Barr put in her ninth field goal of the half, as they went into halftime with a 36-28 lead.
Kierra Johnson scored the first four points of the third quarter on a putback and another fast break layup on a lead pass from Lizeth Zavala. The Corsairs put in two 3-pointers before Ashleigh Barr cut to the hoop and caught the assist pass from Johnson with 7:08 on the clock. Nearly a minute later, Lizeth Zavala drove from the left wing and put in an underhand scoop shot. Both teams went scoreless until Ashley Quigley hit a field goal at the 4:50 mark. Trinity Hawkins drew a shooting foul and made one free throw twenty-three seconds later. Alex Ditizio grabbed a long defensive rebound and dribbled it all the way down to score the layup. After one free throw by Johnson and a 4-footer by Barr, Quigley made another field goal. Johnson dropped in a 2-footer with 54 seconds left. The Corsairs added one free throw, and Alex Ditizio scored on a drive with 10 seconds remaining, as the Bear Cubs' lead lengthened to 54-39 by the end of the quarter.
Trinity Hawkins drained a 3-pointer to start the scoring in the fourth quarter. Gracie Betts answered with a longer 3-pointer. Tal Webb was fouled on a drive and made both free throws. Over a minute later, Hawkins drove across the key and banked in a one-handed shot over two defenders. Quigley drained her third 3-pointer with 6:02 on the clock to get her team to 45 points. The Bear Cubs scored the next seven points as Alex Ditizio again pulled in a long defensive rebound and dribbled the rest of the way herself to score the layup, Kierra Johnson drove around two defenders to make the 1-footer, and Ditizio drained a 3-pointer, for a 68-45 advantage with 3:35 left. The Corsairs made their last field goal 52 seconds later and added three free throws the rest of the game. Ditizio tallied the final four points for the Bear Cubs on a 4-footer and a fast break layup on the long assist pass from Lizbeth Zavala, for a 72-50 win.
Five Corsairs contributed to the total of 10 3-pointers. For the Bear Cubs, only Trinity Hawkins and Alex Ditizio sank one from beyond the arc. Ashley Quigley led the Corsairs in scoring with 18 points, while Gracie Betts totaled 10.
Four Bear Cubs scored in double figures. Ashleigh Barr led with a career-high 22 points. Trinity Hawkins and Kierra Johnson each totaled 16. Alex Ditizio recorded a career-high 13. Tal Webb added 3 points and Lizeth Zavala 2. Barr and Hawkins each grabbed 7 rebounds. Kierra Johnson passed for 4 assists. Hawkins made 4 steals.