Leopards Outlast Tigers in SCIAC Tournament Championship Game
Brianne Brown sinks a shot during the SCIAC Championship game despite pressure from ULV's Trenecca Jones. (Photo: Tracy Maple)
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 1, 2008) – All cats came out clawing tonight as the Tigers and Leopards battled it out on the court at Rush Gymnasium in the inaugural Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Post-Season tournament championship game.
The lead changed ten times and the score was tied four times during the first half, but the tides turned in favor of the Leopards, who ran away with a 79-51 victory.
A Tiger turnover at the 7:58 mark of the first half allowed ULV senior Marissa Raya to steal the ball away, laying it in to knot the game at 21-21 with seven and a half to play. Both teams made free-throws, pushing the score to 25 all, until just before the buzzer sounded.
The University of La Verne took the momentum into the locker room as Raya sank a shot from well beyond the half court line to give the Leopards a 28-25 advantage at the break. The Leos came back 15 minutes later with that same momentum, opening the second half with a 8-2 run and never looked back.
Raya had a game-high 22 points while Leopard teammate Trenecca Jones added a 20-point, 12 rebound double-double and Ashley Paul finished with 13. Lindsey Shiomi led all players with 11 assists
La Verne shooters were on fire in the second half, posting a 61.5 field goal percentage, hitting 5-of-7 three-pointers while adding a solid showing at the charity stripe (17-for-21 overall). The Oxy offense on the other hand struggled all night, shooting 29.6 percent from the field overall, hitting 35.7 percent on three-point field goals.
Adding salt to the Tigers wounds, trailing by 19 points with 6:33 to play in regulation, Oxy sensation Brianne Brown fouled out, putting the Tigers who were already in a hole, at even more of a deficit.
In her final collegiate game, Stacie Roshon led the offensive charge for the Tigers as the only player in double-figures with 21 points. She hit five from long range and etched her name into the Oxy record books as the leading scorer, all time. Britinee Yasukochi was next in line with nine points, adding a team leading four assists.
ULV held a 36-28 rebounding edge, although Oxy had one more offensive rebound in the game. Tiger transfers Asha Jordan and Brown each grabbed seven rebounds with Roshon pulling down six.
Turnovers hurt the Tigers tonight as ULV forced 18, leading to 23 Leo points.
Occidental’s 11-game winning streak ended tonight as their overall record falls to 21-6. La Verne improves to 20-7 as they advance to the NCAA Divisions III Post Season Tournament as the SCIAC representative.
The Tigers turned in their best record in school history this season.
