Glendora, CA (Women’s Basketball) – What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, Citrus was closing out its women’s basketball season with a win, just its sixth of the year. This year Citrus won their final game of the season again, this time though it was their sixth conference win and 19th overall. Freshman forward Shateah West picked up her sixth double-double of the season, scoring a game high 23 points and grabbing a team high 10 rebounds in the Lady Owls’ 72-60 win over Bakersfield College.
In their first two meetings this year, Citrus won easily, but tonight would be different as there were four ties and five lead changes throughout the contest. Bakersfield would grab the first lead out of the gate, but Citrus quickly took it back from them within the first minute of the contest.
Citrus would continue to lead for the first twelve minutes of the contest, before Bakersfield took the lead back, off a pair of free-throws from Catie Mueller gave the Renegades a one point lead. Citrus would get it back on the next possession after a jumper by Terri Washington, but two possessions later Bakersfield tied the game up again on a 3-pointer by Ashley Hirarte and took the lead on the next possession, again from a pair of free-throws.
Bakersfield would then hold on to that lead until Citrus grabbed it back once again, with just under three minutes to go in the first half. West would prove to be the equalizer this time as her jump shot in the lane knotted the teams up at 28 all, and just seconds later Stacy Antonio’s steal and assist gave Citrus the lead as Jessica Nieves made the score 30-28 after a fast break bucket gave the lead to the Lady Owls. Citrus would maintain that lead going into half-time, holding a slim 3-point 33-30 lead.
After Bakersfield opened up the second half with a score, Citrus got rocking and rolling with a 23-2 run capped off by a Jazmine Matthews jumper that made the score 55-34. The Lady Owls allowed just one Bakersfield basket over the first seven minutes of the second half, before the Renegades broke through with a jumper by Hirarte with 12:49 left to play.
Bakersfield would try to battle back from their large deficit, but Citrus’ lead fell below double digits just once, when Chrysta Pera’s lay-up with 40 seconds to play made the score 69-60. Citrus’ didn’t panic however, as Matthews answered by scoring the final points of the night with a lay-up and free-throw to give Citrus a 12-point victory.
With the win Citrus improves to 19-12 overall and 6-6 in WSC South play. Along with West, Citrus had three other players finish in double-digits as Matthews added 16 points, along with Terri Washington and Jessica Nieves’ 10 points each.
With the season coming to a conclusion, Citrus is a long-shot to make the playoffs despite their best season in three years. Seedings will be announced on Monday, and if the Lady Owls are in, it will be reported here first on the Citrus web-site.
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