Moorpark College women’s basketball took down Cuesta College 57-39 on sophomore night, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. in Raider Sports Pavilion.
Unlike most games this season, Moorpark was caught in a back and forth battle throughout most of the first half.
The Cougars were the first team to score in this game, but when they recorded their third point, the Raiders went on a run. Moorpark was able to score six straight points, and after giving up a 3-pointer towards the end of the first quarter, the Raiders ended the quarter with an 8-6 lead. After a lackluster first quarter on the offensive end, both teams came out and flipped the switch during the second quarter.
The Cougars doubled, almost tripled, the amount of points they scored in the first quarter during the second quarter, and the Raiders came one point away from doubling their first quarter score during the second quarter. With both teams scoring 15 points in this second quarter, the Raiders entered halftime with a 23-21 lead. Head Coach of men’s basketball Gerred Link has been impressed with women’s basketball all season long.
“Their team camaraderie is really good this year,” Link said. “I like watching them, and they work so hard, it’s just a fun experience to see from the sidelines.”
The second half was a different story, but not one that Moorpark has not starred in before. The Raiders started off the third quarter with a 19-5 run, which included Moorpark scoring nine straight points. Moorpark was able to capitalize on this great start to end the third quarter with a 49-31 lead. The Raiders were able to play just as well as they did in the third quarter during the fourth quarter by scoring 13 points and holding Cuesta to only eight. The Raiders were able to win this game 57-39. Head Coach of women’s basketball Kenny Plummer mentioned the difficulties that come with a large lead.
“It is always difficult as a coach and as a player when you have that big of a lead,” Plummer said. “It starts with having a mental focus and mental toughness on the defensive end.”
Prior to the start of the game, the Raiders’ sophomores were honored for all that they have accomplished here at Moorpark College, with this being the final home regular season game. Some of their accomplishments this season included an 8-2 WSC North record, a 21-6 overall record, a second place finish in the WSC North right behind Ventura College, a victory at Ventura College that broke a 27 year, 60 game, losing streak against the Pirates, and the ninth seed in the 2018 CCCAA women’s basketball Southern California championship where they will be playing at L.A. Valley on Friday, Feb. 23. Raiders’ center Barbara Rangel was ecstatic about this last regular season victory.
“This is a really good feeling,” Rangel said. “We needed to win to get a good seed in the playoffs.”
Women’s basketball even had some more great news after the season with Head Coach Kenny Plummer being voted as the Western State Conference Northern Division Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. Along with that, Raiders’ Center Barbara Rangel became Co-Player of the Year for the WSC North.
The Raiders’ guards Sydney Arikawa and Emily Herring, along with forward Kelsea Illengo were voted on the 2018 All Western State Conference Northern Division team. Moorpark guard Charlyee Amos was voted as a honorable mention for the All WSC North team.
The Raiders’ stars of the night were all of the sophomores, Sara Reynoso, Kasey Nilsen, Charlyee Amos, Sydney Arikawa, Kelsea Illengo, and Rana Masrourrod.
