Hancock Women Edge Undefeated Reedley 47-44 For Third Straight Win

Michaila Miller hit a jumper from the baseline and Marissa Torres drained two free throws in the final 20 seconds to help the Allan Hancock College women's basketball team hold on for a 47-44 win over undefeated Reedley College on Tuesday in Joe White Memorial Gymnasium. The Bulldogs won their third straight game to improve to 4-1 overall. Reedley fell to 3-1.

Freshman Destinee Garcia led the Bulldogs with 10 points to go with six steals and seven rebounds. Torres, Syenna Ramirez and Ashley Daher scored nine points apiece. Miller finished with eight points and three steals.

Ramirez, a freshman guard, made just two of her 13 shots from the field, but she pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and tallied three assists and three steals. Daher had five offensive rebounds to finish with seven boards overall. Hancock finished with 15 offensive rebounds and 37 overall. The Bulldogs recorded a season-high with 19 steals as five players had two or more swipes, including three from freshman forward Kelly McClain.

Hancock trailed 15-14 early in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run over the next seven minutes on buckets by Garcia, Torres, Daher, Ramirez and Miller to carry a 27-17 lead into halftime. 

The Bulldogs took their largest lead of the game 33-21 on a layup from Garcia with 6:49 remaining in the third quarter, and led by 11 points to start the fourth quarter where the visitors made their run.

 Reedley climbed all the way back behind three three-point baskets from Samantha Velasquez to climb within 43-42 with 0:50 remaining. Hancock responded with a jumper from Miller to take a 45-42 lead with 17 seconds to play. Ramirez was whistled for a loose ball foul that resulted in two made free throws from Mattaya Brown to make it a one-point game again with seven seconds remaining. Reedley fouled Torres on the in-bounds play and the Hancock sophomore promptly sank both free throws to account for the three-point margin. Reedley's Velasquez attempted a game-tying three from the corner, but it clanked off the iron to clinch the Hancock victory.

Hancock's defense forced 30 turnovers from Reedley while the Bulldogs turned the ball over 19 times.

Both teams struggled from the floor with Reedley shoot 12.5 percent in the first half and 29 percent for the game. Reedley made just three of 14 shots from three-point range. Hancock shot 25 percent in the first half and 27 percent for the game. The Bulldogs made just one of 10 from three-point territory and 14 of 22 from the free throw line.

Cherokee Cardriche led Reedley with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Brown added 11 points and Velasquez had 10.

The Bulldogs will return to action next Thursday, December 3, when they open a tournament hosted by Cuesta College at 4 p.m. against Las Positas College.