Hancock Women's Basketball Looks to Rebound at Home Friday During Crossover Tournament

The Hancock women's basketball team will look to get back on track on its home court this week while hosting a four-team Crossover Tournament on January 5-6. The Bulldogs welcome two Western State Conference – South Division teams, Bakersfield (4-9) and L.A. Pierce (5-9); as well as Cuesta (7-5). The Bulldogs are looking to snap a five-game losing skid Friday, January 5, at 5 p.m. against L.A. Pierce. A game between Cuesta and Bakersfield will precede Hancock's at 3 p.m. Hancock faces Bakersfield on Saturday at 5 p.m., while Cuesta and Pierce are set to face off at 3 p.m.

Last weekend, Hancock went 0-2 against two of the top teams in the state during Ventura College's Optimist Tournament. The Bulldogs opened with an 80-49 loss to Mt. San Jacinto, the No. 3 ranked team in California. Hancock trailed by four points in the third quarter, but could not get any closer as MSJ dominated the final 15 minutes of the game. Grace Rosa (Paso Robles HS) scored 16 of her team-best 20 points in the second half. Taylor Lee-Hammer (Pagosa Springs HS) added 13 points, including Hancock's first seven points of the game. Karly Beyers (Pioneer Valley HS) contributed 12 points and six rebounds. The following day, the Bulldogs fell 68-34 to Irvine Valley (10-3), the No. 9 team in California. Hancock trailed by one point after the first quarter, but the Bulldogs lost Anamarie Fruge (Pioneer Valley HS) to an ankle injury in the second quarter and could not get recover. Lee-Hammer led the Bulldogs with 12 points and three steals. Hancock shot 25 percent from the field and 18 percent from 3-point territory. The Bulldogs did not attempt a single free throw.

Overall, Rosa leads the team with 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Beyers is averaging 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Lee-Hammer is averaging 13.4 points per game.

Pierce enters 5-9 overall and looking to snap a six-game losing skid. The Brahmas last played Dec. 28 and fell 73-52 to Santa Monica. Four Pierce players average 10 or more points per game. Sophomore guard Taneysha Davis-Woods averages 21.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game. Pierce has not won a

Bakersfield comes in having lost two in a row and three of its last four games. Guard Octavia Croney is the team's leading scorer at 14.7 points per game. Angie Kroeger averages 10.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

The Cuesta Cougars fell in the championship game of their tournament last weekend, 85-47 to Chabot. In early December, Cuesta finished sixth during Hancock's Lady Bulldog Classic. Sophomore guard Courtney Barba leads the team at 18.3 points per game, while Dakota Shinn averages 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds. Freshman Maya Armenta averages 10.0 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 steals.