The Cerritos College women's basketball team overcame a slow start and went on to defeat visiting Los Angeles Harbor College, 78-40 on Friday. The South Coast Conference South Division win over the Seahawks was the second in the last week, and not only evened the team's season record to 13-13, they remained in second place with a 5-2 record. The Falcons will travel to Long Beach City College on Wednesday for a 5:00 p.m. divisional game.

Both teams struggled to score early in the game, with Cerritos taking a 13-6 lead after the first quarter, as the teams combined to shoot 7-for-30 from the field. Taking a 27-20 lead into halftime, Cerritos came out in the third quarter and started to put some distance between themselves and the Seahawks (15-11, 1-6).

It started with freshman Melana Goodloe (Warren HS) converting a three-point play to extend the lead to 10 points, while consecutive three-pointers from sophomore Brianna Flores (Norwalk HS) and freshman Damarie Saldivar (Paramount HS) made it a 36-20 lead just a minute into the third quarter. Cerritos doubled up on LA Harbor when freshman Bridgette McIntyre (St. Anthony HS) converted a pair of free throws, followed by a layup from sophomore Ashley Miller (Paramount HS) to make it a 40-20 contest. 

Saldivar, who scored a career-high 28 points on the night, connected on three-pointers on the Falcons next two possessions and by the end of the quarter, it was a 53-35 game. In the third quarter, Saldivar scored 10 points, which included a trio of three-pointers.

As a team, the Falcons forced 32 turnovers and converted them into 32 points. Saldivar, who netted 11-of-17 shots, led the team with six steals and finished the night with four three-pointers. Coming off the bench, freshman Akayla Burton (El Segundo HS) hauled in a team-high 10 rebounds, with Miller capping off the night with nine points, eight rebounds and three assists. Flores also added eight points, six rebounds and three assists.

Photos by Daryl Peterson