Glendale Community College women’s basketball can’t catch Antelope Valley
GLENDALE — Having reached the halfway juncture in Western State Conference East Division competition, the Glendale Community College women’s basketball team has encountered a couple of speed bumps.
In a key division showdown against first-place Antelope Valley on Saturday night, Glendale scratched and clawed to pull to within five points entering the fourth quarter. Then Glendale’s offense sputtered while trying to catch Antelope Valley in the game and standings.
Glendale mustered just six fourth-quarter points and suffered a 71-47 home defeat.
The Vaqueros (15-8, 3-2 in the division) dropped to third place in the division behind Antelope Valley (11-12, 5-0) and L.A. Valley (17-6, 4-1). Glendale fell to both teams in a four-day span.
Glendale trailed, 46-41, after the third quarter. The Vaqueros, who last made the playoffs in 2003, ended the quarter with a basket from Katia Dabbaghian (Providence High) as the third quarter expired and appeared to have momentum.
Instead, Glendale couldn’t get on track at either end of the court and Antelope Valley registered 25 points in the fourth quarter.
“We thought we were back in it and we fought hard in the third quarter,” said Glendale first-year coach Joel Weiss, whose team made just two of 15 shots from the floor in the fourth quarter. “For some reason, we weren’t able to complete the comeback.
“Give [Antelope Valley] credit for playing the way they did in the fourth quarter. We were just a step slow. Now we have to get back at it and continue to fight these last five [division] games.”
The Marauders took a 51-41 lead on a jump shot by Deja Smith, who finished with a game-high 18 points, with 6:50 to go in the fourth quarter. Glendale closed to within 51-44 on a three-pointer by Brooke Radcliff (Burroughs) with 6:18 left. A three-pointer by Antelope Valley’s Brieanna Perkins made it 56-44 with 3:30 to play.
“We struggled early in the season, but now we are playing some of our best basketball,” said Antelope Valley Coach Barry Green, whose team held a 33-25 halftime lead. “We’re now starting to believe in ourselves and putting some wins together.
“We tried to take Glendale’s best players out of their comfort level and our post players did a very good job of doing that. We’ve been putting together some real good efforts in the fourth quarter and it starts by playing good defense.”
Overall, Glendale converted on just 15 of 47 shots (31.9%). By comparison, Antelope Valley made eight of 17 shots in the fourth quarter (47.1%) and 24 of 61 overall (39.3%).
“We just need to shoot better and we have a group that can do that,” Weiss said. “They’ll find a way to step it up.”
Antelope Valley got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Katilin Stephenson, 15 points and five assists from Perkins and 10 points from Makaela Manson.
Glendale received a team-high 10 points and six rebounds from Luna Panosian (Hoover), nine points each from Kristina Sahakian (Glendale) and Dabbaghian and eight points from Radcliff.
Glendale and Antelope Valley will compete again Feb. 18 at Antelope Valley in the regular season finale.
Glendale will participate in another division home contest at 5 p.m. Saturday against Victor Valley.
