If the Cerritos College women's basketball team were to look back at their season when it's over, they only need look at their South Coast Conference South Division scores to see how close they were to having a better record. On Friday, the Falcons (9-17, 2-6) lost their fifth game within divisional play where they led late in the game, as they suffered a 56-48 loss to visiting El Camino College. The team has two games left in their season, with next Wednesday's 5:00 p.m. game against Compton College their final home game of the season.

Holding a 36-33 lead after the first three quarters, the Falcons made it a 41-36 lead after freshman Precious Yerena (Downey HS) knocked down a three-pointer with 8:47 remaining on the clock. However, over the next 6:19, Cerritos was limited to just one free throw, while the Warriors (11-14, 6-2) went on a 9-1 run before freshman Nicole Lizarraga (Cantwell Sacred Heart HS) hit a short jumper. El Camino, who didn't attempt any free throws for the first 38 minutes of the game, converted 9-of-14 in the final 1:24 of the fourth quarter, which allowed them to hold onto the lead.

Cerritos shot a strong 43% from the field in the first half, but saw that accuracy dip to 31% in the second half, while the Warriors made 41% of their second half shots.

Yerena led the team with 14 points, while sophomore Sarah Hernandez (St. Paul HS) added 10 points and six rebounds. Lizarraga finished with nine points, with freshman Jordan Lewis (Downey HS) posting eight points and eight rebounds.

Photos by Daryl Peterson