Bulldogs Drop Home Finale 66-57 to SBCC

Despite an 18-point effort from Justine Roland, the Allan Hancock College women's basketball team lost its final home game of the season 66-57 to Santa Barbara City College on Thursday night in Joe White Memorial Gymnasium.

Veronica Sua and Ali Rodriguez poured in 11 points each to give Hancock three scorers in double figures.

The Bulldogs dropped their sixth straight game and fell to 2-9 in Western State Conference play and 12-14 overall under first-year head coach Cary Nerelli.  Hancock finished 6-6 on its home court.

Santa Barbara beat Hancock for the first time in three meetings this season and improved to 2-9 in WSC action and 10-15 for the season.

Hancock led by as many as eight points in the first half on 44 percent shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs led 28-27 at halftime after Ali Rodriguez dribbled the length of the court and hit a runner in traffic at the buzzer. Rodriguez hit three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points in the first 20 minutes of the game. The freshman was held scoreless in the second half.

The Vaqueros took control of the game about five minutes into the second half.  After Roland scored a layup to put Hancock ahead 39-37 with 15 minutes to play, the Vaqueros went on an 8-0 run fueled by a par of 3-pointers from Jasmine Mata to take a 45-39 lead with about 13:30 to go. The Bulldogs never fully recovered. Roland scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half.

The Bulldogs shot 44.9 percent for the game and made 4 of 9 from 3-point territory. Hancock struggled at the free throw line in the contest converting just 9 of 20 for 45 percent.

SBCC finished the game at 40.7 percent shooting from the floor and made 16 of its 23 free throws for a 69.6 percent mark.  Mata led the Vaqueros with 19 points on 5 for 8 shooting, including a 3 for 4-effort from 3-point range. Mhiah Vickers and Elia Salazar finished with 10 points apiece. Both teams finished with 30 rebounds.

Hancock forward Emma Weinreich missed her third straight game with a concussion. The Arroyo Grande High School graduate was one of five sophomores honored prior to the game.  Sua, Weinreich, Roland, Evelyn Robles and Davina J. Valerio suited up for the final home game of their Bulldog careers.

Valerio finished with eight points and a team-high seven rebounds before she fouled out late in the game. Rodriguez finished with five assists.

Hancock closes out the regular season on Saturday, Feb.22, at College of the Canyons. Tip off is at 3 p.m