Tigers Down Santa Ana, 84-72, at Home Wednesday; RCC Improves to 14-5, 1-1 in OEC

RIVERSIDE – Finding its course late in the first quarter, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's basketball team took the lead for good and held off the Santa Ana College (SAC) Dons en route to a 84-72 Orange Empire Conference (OEC) home win Wednesday evening (Jan. 11) at historic Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium. 

Riverside (14-5, 1-1 in OEC) and Santa Ana exchanged early leads until the Tigers took a 16-15 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. RCC settled for a 26-19 lead after the first ten-minute period.

The Tigers built a 21-point lead at 53-32 with nine seconds left in the second quarter and led, 53-34, at halftime. RCC had its biggest lead at 76-53 with 7:28 left in the game. 

RCC frosh guard Chiderah Uzowuru (Corona / Eastvale – Eleanor Roosevelt HS '14) scored 14 of her team-high 24 points in the first half. Uzowuru also had nine of her game-high 14 rebounds in the first 20 minutes as well. Sophomore center Paradise Hanchett (Moreno Valley / Rancho Verde HS '15) added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers.

Santa Ana (11-8, 1-2 OEC) sophomore forward Blaysen Varnadoe, who was saddled with early foul trouble (two in the first quarter), managed to toss in a game-high 26 points and had a team-high ten rebounds. 

Riverside continues OEC action Friday, Jan. 13, when it visits the Saddleback College Gauchos in a 5 p.m. tipoff, while Santa Ana will host the Orange Coast College Pirates.

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