Tigers Improve to 5-0, Win Own Tournament for Second Consecutive Year; Enter Palomar Tournament This Week

RIVERSIDE – The Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's basketball team won all three games of its Third Annual Earning Our Stripes (E.O.S.) Tournament, capping the weekend with a solid 78-52 win over Orange Empire Conference (OEC) rival Santa Ana College (SAC) Sunday (Nov. 13) to win the tournament title for the second consecutive season.

Riverside City (5-0 overall) led, 17-7, early in the second quarter, but then saw the Dons close to within 17-14. A 13-0 RCC run gave the Tigers a 30-14 lead with 4:10 left in the first half, The Tigers led, 36-24, at halftime and pulled away late in the third quarter, eventually building a 54-38 lead with 1:09 left in the third and a 64-40 lead with 7:56 left in the game. RCC had its biggest lead at 78-48 with 1:19 remaining.

Four Tigers (three starters) scored in double figures, led by frosh guard Chiderah Uzowuru (Eastvale / Eleanor Roosevelt HS '14), who had 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sophomore forward Paradise Hanchett (Moreno Valley / Rancho Verde HS) added 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Hanchett was named tournament most valuable player. Also named to the all-tournament team was sophomore guard Britney Gonzalez (Fontana / Jurupa Hills HS '15), who had 13 points.

For Santa Ana (3-2 overall), sophomore forward Blaysen Varnadoe led with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Taylor Ivicevic added 12 points and seven rebounds. Both Varnadoe and Ivicevic were named to the all-tournament team.

In the third-place game, the Rio Hondo College (RHC) Roadrunners (3-3 overall) outlasted the Glendale College Vaqueros (3-2 overall), 69-59, in overtime. Down the stretch in regulation, sophomore guard Aliyah Montiel (Azusa HS) drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 55-55 with twenty seconds left. In the extra session, RHC sophomore guard Marisa DeLeon (Santa Fe HS) converted a four-point play to give RHC the lead for good at 62-59 with 3:07 left. Montiel was named to the all-tournament team.

In the consolation championship (fifth place) game, either way the Falcons would decide it as the Solano College Falcons shaded the Cerritos College Falcons, 74-71. Tied at 71-71, sophomore guard Mae Moore made one free throw with :12 left and then sophomore guard Jenessa Boling made a pair of charities with :07.9 left to account for the final score. Lizzy Roark, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Solano was named to the all-tournament team.

Solano (2-1 overall) was led by sophomore guard Jayme Slay (Jesse Bethel HS) with 22 points.

Cerritos (1-2 overall) was paced by sophomore guard Kaylyn James (Lakewood HS), who tossed in a team-high 21 points. Frosh forward Esther Franks (Long Beach / Millikan HS) added 18 points and 11 rebounds.

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