W. Basketball: Falcons pull away from LA Harbor for big win

File Photo: Lauryn Nakamura scored 21 points against LA Harbor
File Photo: Lauryn Nakamura scored 21 points against LA Harbor

After a close first quarter, the Cerritos College women's basketball team outscored host Los Angeles Harbor College, 44-21 the rest of the way and registered a 63-31 win on Wednesday night. The South Coast Conference South Division win was the sixth in the last seven games for the Falcons (11-13, 5-1), who remain in second place in the division. The team will host El Camino College College at 5:00 p.m. on Friday in another divisional game.

A 19-10 first quarter lead swelled to 36-16 near the end of the first half, as Cerritos kept the Seahawks off the scoreboard for nearly the final seven minutes of the first half. During that time, freshman Mia Avalos (Pioneer HS) and sophomore Jayden Estrada (Anaheim HS) each hit three-pointers. The team took a 36-18 lead into intermission.

Freshman Lauryn Nakamura (Cypress HS) accounted for the team's first four points of the third quarter, while LA Harbor needed 4:03 to score their first points of the second half. Cerritos also scored the final nine points of the third quarter, which included a three-pointer from freshman Natalie Poppin (La Habra HS).

By the end of the game, Nakamura had a team-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds, six assists and five steals, with Avalos accounting for 19 points, eight assists, four steals and three assists. Freshman Jazzmin Briggs (Lakewood HS) came off the bench to post 10 points, five rebounds and four steals, with Poppin finishing with six points and five rebounds.