In her final home game of her career, Cerritos College women's basketball player Mariah Lora (Warren HS) scored a career-high 24 points to lead the team to a 61-57 win over Compton College on Wednesday. The point guard connected on 9-of-15 shots, which included four three-pointers, as the Falcons (10-17, 3-6) held off the Lady Tartars (8-18, 0-8) in a South Coast Conference South Division game. The team concludes the season with a 5:00 p.m. game at Los Angeles Southwest College on Friday.

Leading most of the way, including a 39-26 advantage early in the third quarter after a Lora three-pointer, Cerritos hit a cold spell that allowed Compton to get back into the game and even take a brief lead. Over the course of the next seven minutes of the third quarter, the Tartars outscored the Falcons, 18-4 to take a 44-43 lead after a Marceya Vernardo basket. Cerritos regained the lead on their next possession, as sophomore Sarah Hernandez (St. Paul HS) netted four straight free throws as the third quarter came to an end.

A pair of Lora jump shots to start the fourth quarter brought the Falcons lead to 51-44. Compton would close it to 51-50 with 6:51 remaining before Hernandez and freshman Therese Zekajj (Legacy HS) each made baskets for a 55-50 lead with 5:10 left on the clock. A Tartar bucket, followed by a Cerritos turnover and then another Compton basket made it a 55-54 contest and forced the Falcons to call timeout with 1:43 left.

It was Lora once again who came up with the clutch shot, while Lora, Hernandez and freshman Precious Yerena (Downey HS) combined to convert 4-of-6 free throws to close out the win.

Hernandez posted a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Zekajj came off the bench to pull down eight rebounds. Freshman Nicole Lizarraga (Cantwell Sacred Heart HS) added six points and seven rebounds for the Falcons.

Photos by Daryl Peterson