With 18 seconds left in the game, the Warriors were trailing by one point.
Noelini Tuiasoa, forward, drove to the lane and was fouled.
To have any chance to tie or win this game, she must make the first free throw in order to have a chance at the second free throw.
“Klunk!”
She missed and L.A. Trade Tech College rebounded the ball, sealing any chance for a comeback as the Warriors lost by a slim margin of 58-56 last Friday.
“To prepare for the next game, we’re really going to have to work on our defense,” Amanda Young, guard, said. “I think we just really need to work hard to come back from these past two losses but we should be fine.”
The Warriors (1-3, 0-2) are winless on the current road trip and will try to get out of a three game losing streak when they face Fullerton College today at 6 p.m.
The Warriors were leading by 13 to start the second half of the game but could not maintain the lead.
The latter part of the second half was a seesaw battle as the Warriors and L.A. Trade Tech kept trading baskets and turnovers.
“The biggest thing were turnovers and mistakes,” Steve Shaw, coach, said. “Some of the mistakes were not only turning the ball over but not doing the things that we want to do offensively and defensively. When you make so many turnovers and mistakes with disorganization, it’s very hard to win a basketball game. We just have to continue getting better at every aspect of the game.”
EC was short-handed from the get-go with Kirsten Hurd, starting forward, averaging nearly 13 points and four rebounds, on the sidelines with a knee injury. Young and Briana Hunt, who had 13 points and five rebounds, fouled out of the game down the stretch in the second half which further depleted the depth of the team.
“They went on a run and got fired up,” Hurd said. “We just did not match their intensity and could not catch back up.”
Tuiasoa played well again as she had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds and Jessica Bruner, center, continues to rack up the boards with 11 rebounds.
Despite the loss, Young said if they clean up the mistakes the team will win games.
“It almost killed me to be sidelined,” Hurd said. “I will be good to go for the game tomorrow. I’m going to be out for vengeance. I want this win but we have all got to really want it.”