Women's Basketball Takes Down Saddleback in Overtime

The Riverside City College women's basketball team hit the road on Wednesday night for an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) match up against the Saddleback College Gauchos after routing Copper Mountain last Friday. After regulation could not decide a winner, the game advanced into overtime with tensions riding high. In a game that featured high-flying offense and physical defense, the Tigers netted 15 points in the extra frame en route to a 97-93 conference victory.

After Riverside let a 16-point advantage slip away, the game was a back-and-forth affair for the majority of the second half despite holding a 10 point lead at halftime. Saddleback outscored the Tigers in all but two quarters – the first frame and the overtime period- which shaped into the most crucial periods.

The Tigers were forced to cash in at the charity stripe due to Saddleback fouling the Tigers 33 times. While they struggled from the line by earning just a 57.8 percent clip from the stripe, Riverside cashed in when the pressure was on. They went 9-for-13 in overtime to seal the deal. Freshman guard Kimari Hollis (Moreno Valley, CA) drilled three free throws in that span. Two came with 20 seconds remaining on the clock.

Hollis finished with a team-high 26 points and was one assist away from recording a double-double. It is her 11^th straight contest where she has recorded a double-digit points total. Additionally, she has dished out five or more assist in nine of those 11 games.

Sophomore forward Joana Adams (Palm Springs, CA) continued her strong play and recorded a double-double by flushing 18 points and reeling in 13 boards. Sophomore forward Darricka Hewitt (Riverside, CA) matched her 13 boards and recorded 17 points to notch a double-double. Adams has ignited in conference play by averaging 18.5 points-per-game in conference play.

Sophomore guard Dejah Wright (Moreno Valley, CA) acted as the early the spark plug and finished with 20 points. She recorded 13 points in the first half.

The Tigers (13-6, 4-1 OEC) return home after a three-game road trip and face off against the Fullerton College Hornets at 7 p.m.