The first two minutes of their South Coast Conference game on Friday were not the way the Cerritos College women's basketball team had hoped they would start the game. They trailed host El Camino College, 9-0 and were in need of an adjustment in their approach. By the 9:42 mark, the Falcons had turned things around and led, 16-15 on their way to a 73-59 victory. The win improved their record to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the SCC, and will now play host to Los Angeles Southwest College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Hope International University in Fullerton.

Leading the comeback were sophomore guards Marissa Rendon (St. Paul HS) and Angela Pena (Huntington Park College Ready Academy HS), who each scored six points, with Rendon giving the team their first lead of the game. The lead didn't last very long, as the Warriors (4-8, 1-3) outscored Cerritos, 11-6 and held a 26-20 lead after a Kaitlyn Kung three-pointer with 4:50 left in the first half. But by intermission, the Falcons held a 35-31 edge, with Rendon (26 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals) netting a pair of three-pointers along the way.

Cerritos continued to build on their lead and didn't trail the rest of the way, thanks in part to the play of Rendon, while Pena added 16 points. Sophomore Diamond Roberts (Mayfair HS) contributed 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists, as the Falcons outrebounded El Camino, 45-32 on the night. Freshman Nia Lateju (Norwalk HS) added seven points and nine rebounds in the win, with Samone Davis leading El Camino with 18 points.

Photo by Daryl Peterson