The Santa Rosa Junior College women’s basketball team hosted College of the Redwoods Dec. 10, coming out on top with a 66-51 victory and improving their overall record to 6-2, tied for second in the Big 8 conference.
The Bear Cubs have been on a hot stretch to start their season, winning four of their last five games with their only loss credited to City College of San Francisco by one point. The game against the College of the Redwoods was anything but.
Before the game even tipped off it was apparent that the Bear Cubs had a clear height advantage over their opponent, which played a significant role in their win. SRJC dominated the glass from start to finish, out-rebounding the Corsairs 50-28.
Santa Rosa played relentless defense, attacking the ball carrier and locking down the paint. Their strategy forced the Corsairs to settle for shots beyond the perimeter, shooting 20 more three-pointers than SRJC, but only connecting on 27%.
In a physical, fast-paced game, the Bear Cubs outlasted the Corsairs, showing their resolve and team chemistry.
“One team, one game, one goal, just playing together, and making sure we’re playing our game,” freshman forward Amanda Hart said.
This message mirrored their play as SRJC stayed within their game plan, never falling prey to their opponent’s attempts to agitate them. Whether the Corsairs double-teamed in the paint or employed full court press, the Bear Cubs always had a countermove.
Every time the Corsairs started to cut into the lead, the Bear Cubs responded accordingly. At the end of the first quarter, College of the Redwoods was within six points of SRJC. After that, the SRJC’s lead only grew.
The Bear Cubs were led by dominant performances from freshman forward Jordan Washington and sophomore forward Kaia Eubanks, who combined scored half of the Bear Cubs’ points. Washington had a double-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and a game high six blocks. Eubanks led the game in scoring with 18 points on an incredibly efficient night, hitting nine of 11 shots.
SRJC looks to stay level headed and carry momentum from one game to the next as the competition gets more fierce.
“The more wins you have under your belt helps you, but we haven’t even started conference yet, and we know conference is going to be really hard,” Hart said.
The Bear Cubs followed Wednesday’s victory up with another dominant performance, routing the Saints of Mission College 82-43 Saturday Dec. 13.
The Bear Cubs then pushed their win streak to six games at the Golden Gate Classic at City College of San Francisco, taking their tenth win of the season against East Los Angeles on Dec. 20.
Santa Rosa returns to Haehl Pavilion Dec. 27, aiming to defend their win streak against San Joaquin Delta (9-3).
