Playing their home opener on Wednesday, the Cerritos College women's basketball team hit five first half three-pointers to guide them to a 64-49 win over Grossmont College. The Falcons (3-4) will now travel to Chaffey College on Friday for a 5:00 p.m. non-conference game.

Cerritos came on fast against the Griffins (0-7), and out-scored them, 24-9 through the first 10 minutes. Five straight points from sophomore Sarah Hernandez (St. Paul HS) helped the Falcons sprint out to a 9-0 lead early on. Consecutive three-pointers from freshman Precious Yerena (Downey HS) and sophomore Kayla Sta. Ana (St. Joseph HS) extended the lead to 17-3, while it was a 35-11 advantage midway through the second quarter after two more Sta. Ana three-pointers.

The Falcons took a comfortable 40-18 lead into intermission, but struggled to maintain their shot in the second half, as they converted only 19% of their field goals, compared to 43% for Grossmont. Although Cerritos never saw the lead dip under double-digits, the Griffins were able to stay in threatening range. Benefitting the Falcons were the 35 turnovers for Grossmont, with Cerritos converted into 30 points.

Heading into the fourth quarter with a 50-35 advantage, Yerena converted a jumper, followed by a pair of free throws from Hernandez to swell the lead back to 17 points. Grossmont went on an 8-2 run to make the score 54-41, before Yerena converted a layup and sophomore Mariah Lora (Warren HS) netted three of four free throws. Cerritos made good on 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to close out the game.

Sta. Ana scored a season-high 14 points with five rebounds, which included the three first half three-pointers, while Yerena also produced 14 points and five rebounds in the win. Hernandez nabbed her fifth double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Jordan Lewis (Downey HS) played a solid game on both ends. In addition to scoring eight points, 10 of her game-high 13 rebounds came on the offensive end, with Lora finishing with 10 points and four steals.

Photos by Daryl Peterson