Riverside Earns Its Stripes, Defeats Santa Ana, 83-67, to Win Own Tournament; Jordan Named MVP

RIVERSIDE --Having all 14 players in uniforms receive playing time and make contributions, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's basketball team outlasted the visiting Santa Ana College Dons, 83-67, Sunday afternoon (Nov. 15) in the championship game of RCC's second annual Earning Our Stripes Tournament at RCC's historic Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

Riverside (4-1 overall) saw Santa Ana (3-2 overall) jump out to a 13-4 lead with 4:19 to play in the first quarter, but the Tigers found their stride and didn't let up (for the most part). Soon, RCC went on a 13-0 run over a span of 3:03 and led, 17-13, with 1:16 to play.

The Tigers led, 38-32, at halftime.

Although the Dons bounced back to forge a 38-38 tie with 8:46 remaining in the third quarter, RCC went on a modest 6-0 run for a 44-38 lead with 7:02 left and never looked back. The Tigers led, 61-50, after three quarters, thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by frosh guard Jacqueline Aparicio (Corona / Santiago HS '15).

In the fourth quarter, RCC continued to increase its lead with margins of 66-52 at 9:01 on another triple by Aparicio en route to its biggest lead, 81-61, with 2:48 left.

RCC sophomore guard Jordan Lofton (Riverside / M.L. King, Jr. HS) led the Tigers with a team-high 19 points and added six rebounds, five steals and four assists. Frosh guard DoyleBonet Walker (Fontana / Summit HS) added 16 markers. Seven Tigers pulled down at least four rebounds, led by frosh forward Paradise Hanchett (Rancho Verde HS) with eight rebounds.

For Santa Ana, which is markedly improved this season and will be a force with which to be reckoned, frosh forward Blaysen Varnadoe led the Dons with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. 

For RCC, Lofton was named all-tournament most valuable player. Walker also was named to the all-tournament team. Also named were Varnadoe and sophomore guard Celia Duran, both from Santa Ana. 

In the third-place game, the Cerritos College Falcons (2-1 overall) broke open a close game after halftime and kept the Grossmont College Griffins (1-2 overall) at bay as the Falcons won, 62-54. Sophomore forward Ashley Flores had seven points and a game-high ten rebounds to earn all-tournament team honors for Cerritos.

In the consolation championship (fifth-place) game, the El Camino College (ECC) Warriors (2-1 overall) led, 39-32, at halftime and then opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run and went on to a 75-53 win over the Glendale College Vaqueros (1-2).

Frosh forward Kourtney Noa (Redondo Union HS) came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points for ECC and gain all-tournament honors. Frosh guard Meghan Peneueta (Redondo Union HS) added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Warriors.

For Glendale, sophomore forward Maria Quejada (University HS) and frosh guard Katia Dabbaghian (Providence HS) each had a team-high nine points for the Vaqueros. Dabbaghian also added a team-high eight rebounds.

***

Second Annual Earning Our Stripes All-Tournament Team

RCC: Jordan Lofton (MVP), DoyleBonet Walker; SAC: Blaysen Varnadoe, Celia Duran; Cerritos: Ashley Flores, El Camino: Kourtney Noa.

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