Last Friday, Feb.28, was an eventful day for the Rio Hondo College women’s Basketball team. They held on strong against the Cypress College Chargers, the No. 9th seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs. They were ahead for three quarters before falling short and suffering a loss in the final quarter.  

In the first quarter, the girls took the court with a score of 21-8. They stood ahead by the end of the second quarter with 37-27 and made it by the third quarter with a score of 52-46. 

Things took a turn when Pressila Blanco number 44 on the charger’s side knocked down five straight free throws to give them their first lead since the first quarter, changing the score to 56-55. Cypress took the fourth quarter and left the Roadrunners with a final score 73-66. 

Even though they couldn’t secure a win, it was a good game. Amy Navarro was repping the Roadrunners and the number 32, leading with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Candace Black repping the number 2 totaled 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Roadrunners. While Amanda Lee, with the jersey number 20, dished out 10 points, five assists, and three rebounds for the team. 

The last five minutes of the game were tough as they fought hard to gain back those points, but fell short as none of the throws were connecting, but they gave Cypress the run for their money, making it challenging to let up till the very end.

Coach Herrera, who is in his third year, commented at the end of the game. “It was a tough one. The girls worked hard to put themselves on the map. When they’re on it, they’re on it; when they’re off, they’re off. Cypress is a good program, and it was a good season, but it’s frustrating.” 

The team made an overall of 20-9 this season, and Cypress will now be advancing to the third round of the SoCal Regional. They will be facing the Moorpark Riders, who dominated Riverside Tigers with a score of 96-65.