Leading the majority of the game, the Cerritos College women's basketball team fell behind in the second half, but rallied for a 58-53 South Coast Conference win over visiting El Camino College on Friday night. The team will now travel to Long Beach City College on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. conference game.

The Falcons (9-7, 2-0) held a 42-36 advantage in the second half, only to see the Warriors (9-7, 0-2) score seven straight points to take a 43-42 lead with 10:07 left. But that deficit didn't last very long after sophomore forward Nia Lateju (Norwalk HS) netted a pair of free throws to give Cerritos back the lead. They would not relinquish it the remainder of the game.

The scoring advantage would stay close, as both teams traded baskets. Lateju (10 points, 10 rebounds) followed her free throws with a three-pointer, while freshman center Selena Romero (Lakewood HS) hit a pair of turnaround jumpers, the second giving Cerritos a 55-49 lead with 3:29 left in the game. They wouldn't score again until there was less than a minute left, but El Camino didn't help their cause by going five minutes without a basket down the stretch.

Romero led the way with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots, while sophomore forward Alii Salone (Gahr HS) was strong in both halves and finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Sophomore guard Priscilla Valdovinos (Fremont HS) posted 10 points, four rebounds and four assists in the win, while sophomore Dijonnae Murphy (Sante Fe HS) contributed four points and four rebounds off the bench.

Photos by Daryl Peterson