Cerritos College sophomore women's water polo player Katherine Gabayeron (Cerritos HS) helped her team come back from a 3-0 first quarter deficit by scoring three times in the second quarter. It enabled the Falcons to score six times in a row and pull away from visiting Mt. San Antonio College on Wednesday for an 11-5 win in a South Coast Conference match at the Falcon Aquatic Center. The win by the state's fourth-ranked team clinched a perfect 7-0 SCC record, while they are now 24-4 heading into the conference tournament next week.

After falling behind 3-0 to the Mounties (15-8, 4-3) in the first quarter, freshmen Angelica Hernandez (El Rancho HS) and Jasmine Villalpando (Montebello HS) each scored to close the gap before Gabayeron accounted for the next three goals in the second quarter. She gave the team a 4-3 lead with a 6-on-5 goal with 5:33 left in the first half and added a hard, inside shot 48 seconds later. Sophomore Yuridia Vela (Schurr HS) made it a 6-3 Cerritos lead after crashing the net and scoring with 2:47 remaining.

In the second half with the Falcons on top. 6-4, Hernandez scored her second goal of the game on a breakaway after a steal with 3:28 left in the third quarter, while Gabayeron and Hernandez added goals for a comfortable 9-4 advantage. Gabayeron finished off the team's scoring with a pair of goals in the fourth quarter to finish with six on the day, while Hernandez had three steals to go with her three goals. Villalpando also had three steals and two assists.

Sophomore goalie Sharon Ku (Cerritos HS) posted four saves in the win, while Kylie Leeper led Mt. SAC with two goals - the first two in the game. Mountie goalie Carissa Spathias made nine saves.

Photo by Daryl Peterson