Late run pushes Gauchos past Southwestern in third place game

The Saddleback women's basketball team was pushed to the limit on Sunday in the third place game of the Orange Coast College Christmas Classic.  The Gauchos scored the final seven points of the game in nipping Southwestern College, 50-48.

Saddleback led by as many as 14 points in the first half before going ice cold from the field and letting Southwestern back into the game.  Myishia Watkins' made free throw at the 6:50 mark of the first half gave the Gauchos a 21-7 lead, and would be the last points Saddleback would score for 5.5 minutes in watching the lead slip to two.  The Gauchos regrouped and extended the lead to seven at the half, but then suffered yet another cold spell in scoring just one point in the first four minutes of the second half in allowing the Jaguars to take their first lead of the game. 

Southwestern would extend the lead to 48-43 with just 2:45 remaining in the game before Saddleback made its move.  The Gaucho defense clamped down, holding Southwestern to 0-for-5 shooting from the field as the Jaguars also missed their only two free throw attempts.  Meanwhile, Watkins, Indigo Scott and Karla Roacha-Cota (pictured) made 5-of-6 from the charity stripe to get Saddleback even at 48-48 with 1:46 remaining.  The final dagger came from Lillie Rellin, who buried a jump shot with 1:16 remaining to give the Gauchos a 50-48 lead.  Neither team would score in the final minute of the game, as Roacha-Cota and Rellin would collect key defensive rebounds off of Southwestern misses.

Roacha-Cota finished with a game-high 16 points, making 10-of-14 shots from the free throw line.  She also led Saddleback with nine rebounds on the afternoon.

Saddleback improved to 9-8 on the season with the win.  It was their third defeat of Southwestern during the pre-conference schedule.  The Gauchos will now have some time off before starting Orange Empire Conference play on January 4 at Irvine Valley College.