Unable to get any of their outside shoots to fall, the Warriors lost to Pasadena City College 79-42 last Wednesday in the North Gym and will await the arrival of Riverside next Wednesday.

Led by freshman center Mallory Ellis, the Warriors showed that their shooting woes that have plagued them all season remain a problem.

“I think basically working on shooting and actually being patient on the offensive end,” said guard Gabrielle Meniefield.

“Because we get down the court and we just shoot up any shot, when we can work the defense more with passing. If we just work on that a little more, being more patient on the offensive end, than we will be okay.”

Unable to stop the defense from getting offensive rebounds also was a contributing factor in the loss.

“We didn’t block out,” guard Noriko Nakano said. “We have to do that to get rebounds.”

The team has also been forced to deal with the loss of starting guard Britney Asher. Forced out with a leg injury, Shaw believes her return will add some spark into the offense.

“She started practicing. She suited up against Palomar, but I doubt that she will play. We hope that she will against Riverside,” Shaw said.

With only Ellis scoring consistently throughout the game, the Lancers exploited the inexperienced Warriors by out dueling them in every facet of the game.

“They just hit their shots and we couldn’t,” Shaw said. “Unfortunately that is part of the game. Our women played good defense but they still hit their shots.”

Ellis believes that she can improve.

“Just concentrating more and taking my time on my shots and to work better with my team,” Ellis said. “Because we are a young team we need to learn about each other and how we play so we can play more as a team.”

Averaging over 13 points and six rebounds per game, Ellis has been one of the few bright spots for a team mired in a slump.

“She always got game. She is a very good post player, very good,” Meniefield said.

Shaw believes that the team will improve once the team gets to know each other better.

“She just has good basketball skills. She comes from a good basketball background. Once the girls learn more about her they will be able to start taking advantage of her.”

With the start of the season not to begin for another month, Ellis looks at these preseason games as a chance for the team to get a better feel for each other.

“I learned I need to work with my team in practice. Kind of looking at how they like to play and how I can work better with them,” she said.

Against Citrus on Nov. 24, the Warriors lost 84-79 on the road

Three days earlier against Compton who is ranked 19th in the state, the Warriors came up strong with a tie in regulation before losing in overtime 57-49.

For their first home game Nov. 19, the warriors lost a heartbreaker with the score 50-49.

While this is still only the preseason, Shaw believes that the women need to experience a win.

“In all sports you play to win but sometimes you lose games. I am not worried yet. They’ve played resilently in practice and have worked hard. The girl need to win,” Shaw said.