No. 8 seeded EC (16-7) dropped their third straight game in a 73-62 loss to No. 4 seeded East Los Angeles College (22-2).
The Warriors were in a back-and-forth battle with the Huskies up until the final two minutes. With the game tied 61-61 and 3:26 remaining in the game, ELAC forward Jocelyne Diaz stopped and popped a 3-pointer to give the Huskies the 61-64 lead.
After a Warriors turnover, Diaz ran the same play but was fouled shooting the three. The Huskies took a 67-61 lead after Diaz made all three free throws. The Warriors went cold in the final two minutes.
“We competed for 37 minutes,” said Warriors head coach Steve Shaw. “Partly a lack of what we did down the stretch but I think mostly what they did. They’re the No.4 team for a reason, we need to stay true for the full 40 minutes.”
The first half saw several lead changes. Sophomore guard Nisja Bass hit back to back 3-pointers to give the Warriors a 29-28 lead with 1:34 remaining in the first half. EC led at the half, 31-30.
“I think we came out strong in the first half but we were kind of settling and content with our score,” said Bass. “They came out stronger than us in the second half.”
With the Warriors down 61-55, sophomore forward Shontalene Trudeau blocked a shot attempt, grabbed the ball and went coast to coast for the layup. Bass made back to back trips to the stripe and sunk all four free throws to tie it up 61-61 with 3:26 left in the game.
The Warriors watched as the Huskies went on a 10-1 run in the final three minutes to close out the game. EC turned the ball over 27 times.
“We knew it was going to be a tough one coming into it because they’re a really good team, high ranked,” said Trudeau. “We have to play sound as a team and make better decisions.”
Bass (Mayfair HS) led the Warriors with 18 points and five rebounds. Trudeau (West Torrance HS) added 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The loss drops the Warriors to 16-7 with five games remaining in the schedule.
“We just keep plugging,” said coach Shaw. “It gives us an opportunity to evaluate ourselves going into the second round of conference.”
EC plays at Mt. San Antonio College on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
