BULLDOGS TAKE 3RD PLACE IN THE LADY BULLDOG CLASSIC, MORGAN RECEIVES ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS ONCE AGAIN

Hancock women's basketball took third place in the 21^st Annual Lady Bulldog Holiday Classic over the weekend.

The competition featured eight strong programs from all corners of California converging to Santa Maria for some holiday hoops.

Thursday Dec. 6

The Bulldogs faced-off against Orange Coast College opening night of the event.

Hancock's defense made an impact from the beginning, holding the Pirates scoreless for the first 5 minutes of the first quarter.

A layup by Kendall Bagley with 19 seconds on the clock pushed the Bulldogs lead to 14-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Both teams would find their shooting touch in the second quarter, with OCC outscoring the Bulldogs 21-20. The Bulldogs still held onto a 7 point lead going into the half.

The Bulldogs defense once again was a factor, holding the Pirates to single-digits in the third and fourth quarters. The Bulldogs won easily 66-40.

Three Bulldogs finished in double-figures with Danielle Morgan leading the way with 19pts. Tawny Lino scored 14pts and Tashara Pruett had a double-double with 11pts and 10 rebounds.

Frdiay Dec. 7

The victory advanced the Bulldogs to the second round, where they would lace up against Siskiyous College.

Siskiyous entered the contest 5-0 and averaging over 80 points per game. The previous night, they convincingly beat L.A Harbor College 109-74.

The Bulldogs seemed unimpressed with the Eagles record or scoring average and led by 2 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs extended their lead, highlighted by a barrage of three pointers scored by three different Bulldog players.

The fourth quarter started with the Bulldogs comfortably in the lead by 11 points and all the momentum.

A layup by Willow Bailey pushed the Bulldog lead to 13 with 8 minutes left in the match.

That is when the wheels seemed to fall off the wagon for the Bulldogs. A 6-minute scoring drought allowed the Eagles to take the lead and steal all the momentum.

The Bulldogs would not be able to recover, losing 58-54.

Sophomore guard Kylie Mendez led the way with 16 points. Danielle Morgan had another strong performance, scoring 14 points and snatching down 14 rebounds. Tashara Pruett added 12 points and 5 rebounds.

Saturday Dec. 8

The devastating loss matched the Bulldogs up against Merritt college to compete for third place in the tournament.

The Bulldogs jumped to an early lead of 12-4 at the end of the first quarter, highlighted by three-pointers by Tawny Lino and Danielle Morgan.

The second quarter was a back-and-forth scoring exhibition. The Bulldogs outscored the Thunderbirds 22-20. Sophomore forward Tashara Pruett had a big quarter, scoring 9 points.

With both teams only scoring 6 points a-piece in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs outscoring the T-Birds by one-point in the fourth, the Bulldogs took the victory and the third place trophy. 

Danielle Morgan had a big game, scoring 21 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Morgan received all-tournament honors. This is the second time Morgan has received such an honor this season.

Tashara Pruett once again had a double-double, scoring 11 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Tawny Lino also chipped in with 10 points.

The Bulldogs are now 6-3 and will participate in the Glendale Tournament 12/19-12/21.