SRJC 65 vs. Ohlone 51

NORCAL PLAYOFFS ROUND III

Conference Record: 13-1

Overall Record: 24-6

Wednesday the #5 seeded Bear Cubs traveled to Fremont to take on #4 Ohlone College in the semi-final round of the Northern California playoffs. The Bear Cubs missed their first three shots before McKenzie Mangino banked in a 2-footer off an inbounds pass from Jen Tsurumoto at the 18:15 mark. The Renegades answered with 5 straight points in the next 50 seconds. But Jen Tsurumoto tied the game with a 25-footer at the 16:48 mark. Three more Bear Cub 3-pointers within three minutes gave them a 14-9 lead. A Renegade 3-pointer with 8:13 on the clock got them back within 5 at 16-21. The Bear Cubs then went on a 9-0 run during the next 4 minutes for a 30-16 lead. The Renegades bounced back with three straight 3-pointers to cut the Bear Cub lead to 34-27 with 2:22 left in the half. Both teams added one more field goal to make the score going into halftime 36-29. Anandi Jiminez scored the first basket of the second half on the Bear Cubs' first possession. Both teams had trouble scoring and at the 11-minute mark, the Bear Cubs held a 42-35 lead. Whitney Edens finally broke the Bear Cub string of 9 missed shots when she swished a 3-pointer with 10:46 on the clock. The Renegades responded with their own 3-pointer 20 seconds later. Whitney's third 3-pointer of the game at the 7:36 mark raised the Bear Cub lead to 51-42. The Bear Cubs didn't score again until McKenzie Mangino banked in a shot at the 2:50 mark. In the meantime the Renegades had only scored one field goal and when they sank their final field goal of the game at the 2:38 mark, the Bear Cub lead was 53-46. During the final 2:38 Anandi Jiminez scored two field goals and Jenna Reed one; Jen Tsurumoto sank 5 free throws and Arianna Hanson one. The Renegades added just 5 free throws for a final score of 65-51. Three Bear Cubs had double-doubles: Jen Tsurumoto with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Anandi Jiminez with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and McKenzie Mangino with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Whitney Edens made three out of five 3-point attempts for 9 points. Ashley Morgan sank two 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds. Arianna Hanson grabbed 7 offensive rebounds and totaled 7 points and 9 rebounds. Jenna Reed completed the scoring with 4 points. Jen Tsurumoto and Ashley Morgan each passed for 6 assists. The Bear Cubs made only 31% (22 out of 70) shots but grabbed 28 offensive rebounds. The Bear Cub defense only allowed the Renegades to get 5 offensive boards. The Bear Cubs outrebounded their opponents 63-30. Defense was also a big part of the victory. The Renegades' Chereese Thomas, who was selected Player of the Year in the North was held to 8 points—her lowest point total of the season. The victory earns the Bear Cubs a trip to Los Altos Hills on Saturday to face Foothill College (28-4), the #1 seed, in the NorCal Finals. The winner advances to the State Tournament March 9-11 at Cosumnes River College. The Bear Cubs have lost to the Foothill College Owls at the Merced Tournament in November and in the finals of their own Caren Franci Tournament in December.

SRJC 54 vs. Chabot 39

NORCAL PLAYOFFS ROUND II

Conference Record: 13-1

Overall Record: 23-6

Saturday evening the #5 seeded Bear Cubs, with an overall record of 22-6, hosted the #12 seeded Gladiators of Chabot College (13-11) in the first round of the NorCal Regional Playoffs. The Gladiators scored the first 5 points of the game during the first 3:03. The Bear Cubs missed their first nine shots and finally got on the scoreboard when McKenzie Mangino scored at the 16:08 mark. McKenzie added two free throws 29 seconds later and Jen Tsurumoto hit a tough shot on their next possession for a 6-5 lead. The Gladiators retook the lead a minute later on a 3-pointer. The Bear Cubs responded by scoring 10 unanswered points in the next 6 minutes. The Gladiators hit a shot with 8:10 on the clock to cut the Bear Cub lead to 16-10, then neither team scored for nearly 4 minutes. During the final 4 minutes of the half the Bear Cubs outscored the Gladiators 10-2 to boost their halftime lead to 28-14. The Bear Cubs missed their first seven shots to start the second half before Anandi Jiminez finally got the scoring started with a field goal at the 17:34 mark. The Gladiators answered with two free throws and a field goal. When they sank their fifth field goal of the half at the 8:28 mark, the Bear Cub lead was reduced to 37-29. Following a Bear Cub timeout, Coach Campbell sent Holly Cramer, Arianna Hanson, and Faatimah A into the game. Holly hit a big 3-pointer from straight away at the 6:27 mark to start a 9-0 run, which included a shot from above the free throw line by McKenzie Mangino, 2 baskets by Arianna Hanson, and 2 assists by Faatimah A. This prompted the Chabot coach to call his fifth timeout of the game with 4:31 remaining. The Gladiators hit a 3-pointer when play resumed, but Anandi Jiminez scored the Bear Cubs' fifth shot in a row to make the score 48-32 with four minutes to play. The Gladiators sank their fifth 3-pointer of the game with 2:24 remaining, but it wasn't enough to overcome the double-digit Bear Cub lead. McKenzie Mangino, who made 7 out of 12 field goal attempts and all three of her free throws, was the leading scorer with 17 points. McKenzie had her first double-double of her career as she grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds, including 7 offensive which led to 10 points. Arianna Hanson scored 9 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto and Anandi Jiminez each scored 7 points. Anandi also grabbed 12 rebounds. Holly Cramer added 5 points, Cynthia Arata 4, Ashley Morgan 3, and Julia Cratty 2. Ashley also contributed 9 rebounds and 3 steals. The Bear Cubs made only 29% of their shots in each half (11 for 38 and 10 for 34), but converted a season-high 25 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points. The Gladiators, meanwhile grabbed only 4 offensive boards and didn't put back any. The Bear Cubs outrebounded the Gladiators 65-31. With the 54-39 win the Bear Cubs advance to the semifinal round of the regional playoffs to face #4 seeded Ohlone College (24-5) in Fremont. The Renegades won the championship of the Coast-South Division with a 12-0 record.

SRJC 62 vs. Cosumnes River 55

2012 BIG 8 CHAMPIONS

Conference Record: 13-1

Overall Record: 22-6

Having to play their final Big 8 game on a Thursday only gave the Bear Cubs (12-1) one day to prepare for their rematch against the only team to defeat them in conference play, the Hawks of Cosumnes River College (11-2). A victory would give the Bear Cubs sole possession of first place. Anandi Jiminez scored the first point of the game by sinking one of two free throws. Jen Tsurumoto's field goal 40 seconds later put the Bear Cubs ahead 3-0. With 12:59 on the clock a Hawk basket cut the Bear Cub lead to 9-8. Ashley Morgan answered with a 3-pointer and Arianna Hanson scored 80 seconds later to raise the Bear Cub lead to 14-8. But with 4:34 left in the half the Hawks had bounced back to cut the lead to 19-18. And with 32 seconds remaining the Hawks took the lead for the first time 25-23. Arianna Hanson was fouled in the act of shooting with 9 seconds left. She made both free throws to tie the game going into halftime. The Bear Cubs scored on their first possession of the second half, and the Hawks scored 25 seconds later. The lead continued to change hands for the first 5 minutes of the half. Then the Hawks streaked to a 40-33 lead at the 13-minute mark. Ashley Morgan's 3-pointer 24 seconds later cut that lead in half. The Hawks countered with their sixth 3-pointer of the game. Then Anandi Jiminez followed that with her own 3-pointer. A basket by Ashley Morgan and two free throws by Anandi Jiminez coming at the 10:15 mark put the Bear Cubs back in front 44-43. Two Hawk free throws put them ahead again. Then Ashley Morgan hit another 3-pointer and Anandi Jiminez sank two more free throws for a 49-45 lead. McKenzie Mangino's 3-pointer at the 6:42 mark made the score 52-47 and started an 8-0 run until the Hawks sank a 3-pointer with 3:08 remaining. Ashley Morgan responded with her fourth 3-pointer 16 seconds later for a 60-50 lead. The Hawks scored a field goal on their next possession but didn't score again until they hit a field goal with 35 seconds remaining. Jenna Reed made one of two free throws with 29 seconds left to complete the scoring. The Bear Cubs' 62-55 victory earned them their third consecutive Big 8 title. Anandi Jiminez was the leading scorer with 21 points, including 6 out of 8 free throws. Ashley Morgan, who made 4 out of 7 3-point shots, had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto scored 10 points and passed for 7 assists. Arianna Hanson contributed 6 points and 7 rebounds, and McKenzie Mangino 5 points and 5 rebounds. Whitney Edens played a vital role defensively but didn't score. The Bear Cubs turned the ball over 6 times in the first half, but only once in the second. After making 1 out of 2 3-point attempts in the first half, they made 5 out of 11 in the second half.

SRJC 60 vs. Delta 44

Conference Record: 12-1

Overall Record: 21-6

Tuesday the Bear Cubs traveled to Stockton, where they hadn't won since 2001, to play the tough Mustangs of San Joaquin Delta College. The Mustangs scored first on one of two free throws. The Bear Cubs countered with a Jen Tsurumoto 2-pointer and a Jenna Reed 3-pointer. Two Mustang free throws at the 18:00 mark made the score 5-3. The Bear Cubs put 6 more points on the scoreboard before the Mustangs sank two more free throws at 14:23 to make the score 11-5. A 9-point Bear Cub lead was cut to 23-17 by a Mustang 3-pointer at the 5:58 mark. The Bear Cubs then went on a 7-0 run during the next 4 minutes. The Mustangs scored their final points of the half on a field goal with 51 seconds on the clock. But the Bear Cubs weren't done yet. Jen Tsurumoto scored on a drive and Holly Cramer banked in a one-footer off a nice pass from Cynthia Arata to make the halftime score 34-15. The Bear Cubs started the second half by making their first 5 shots to jump out to a 44-20 lead with 16:15 on the clock. Cynthia Arata's basket at the 11:16 mark gave the Bear Cubs their largest lead 49-23, prompting a Mustang time-out. The Mustangs scored when play resumed to start a 7-2 run in the next 5 minutes. Then Ashley Morgan intercepted a crosscourt pass and drove past a defender to score the layup for a 53-32 lead. The Mustangs outscored the Bear Cubs 12-7 during the remaining 6 minutes of the game to make the final score 60-44. Jen Tsurumoto led the team with 12 points and 3 assists. Jenna Reed scored 11 points and made 4 steals. Anandi Jiminez added 10 points and McKenzie Mangino 8 points. Ashley Morgan celebrated her 20th birthday by scoring 7 points, and leading the team with 10 rebounds and 6 steals. Cynthia Arata contributed 4 points, Arianna Hanson 3 points and 7 rebounds, Chelsea Williamson and Julia Cratty 2 points each, and Faatimah A 1 point. The win improves the Bear Cubs' Big 8 record to 12-1. In their final conference game this Thursday, they host the Cosumnes River College Hawks (11-2), who gave them their only loss, 59-60.

SRJC 78 vs. Modesto 52

Conference Record: 11-1

Overall Record: 20-6

Friday night the Bear Cubs hosted the Modesto Junior College Pirates. With two important games against tough opponents looming next week, the Bear Cubs could not afford to lose to the Pirates. The game was tied at 6 after 5 minutes then Whitney Edens sank a 3-pointer at the 14:44 mark. The Pirates then scored 7 unanswered points before Jen Tsurumoto scored on a drive and then converted a 3-point play at the 9:08 mark to give her team a 14-13 lead. The lead continued to change hands until McKenzie Mangino scored with 5:19 on the clock for an 18-17 lead. The Bear Cubs scored two more unanswered baskets in the next two minutes. The Pirates stopped their scoreless run by sinking two 3-pointers before the end of the half. Three more Bear Cub points in the final two minutes gave them a slim 25-23 lead going into halftime. Three-and-a-half minutes into the second half the Bear Cub lead was just 33-29. Then the Bear Cub defense turned up the pressure, forcing turnovers and coming up with steals. Julia Cratty's second basket in a row with 12 minutes left put the Bear Cubs ahead 48-32. With 5:22 left in the game Cynthia Arata made her second steal in a row in the Pirates' front court and drove past a defender to score the layup for a 67-39 lead. Forty seconds later Cynthia swished a deep baseline 3-pointer off an inbounds play. With 10 seconds to play, Skyler Olsen stole a pass, drove for a layup, missed, but rebounded the ball and sank the follow-up shot for the final basket of the game and a 78-52 win. Jen Tsurumoto led the team with 15 points and 7 assists and made 4 steals. McKenzie Mangino scored 14 points, making 7 out of 9 shots. Anandi Jiminez made 4 out of 5 free throws and finished with 10 points. Ashley Morgan, who bounced back from being knocked out of Tuesday's game, helped energize the defensive turnaround, scored 7 points on two 3-pointers and a free throw, and led the team in rebounding with 5 and in steals with 5. Cynthia Arata scored 6 points and made 3 steals. Whitney Edens and Arianna Hanson each scored 5 points. Julia Cratty, Holly Cramer, and Skyler Olsen added 4 each, and Chelsea Williamson and Jenna Reed 2 each. The Bear Cubs made just 39% (11 for 28) of their shots in the first half, but made 49% (18 for 37) in the second half. The Pirates made 46% of their shots in the second half, but the Bear Cub defense only allowed them to get off 24 shots. The Bear Cubs outscored the Pirates 53-29 in the second half.

SRJC 71 vs. American River 54

Conference Record: 10-1

Overall Record: 19-6

Tuesday the Bear Cubs made their fourth and final trip of the regular season to the Sacramento area to face the Beavers of American River College. Anandi Jiminez scored the first basket of the game on the Bear Cubs' first possession. The Beavers took a 3-2 lead on a 3-pointer 50 seconds after that. A minute later Jen Tsurumoto's field goal put the Bear Cubs ahead 4-3. The Beavers retook the lead, 6-4, with another 3-pointer at the16:05 mark. It took just 19 seconds for the Bear Cubs to claim the lead for good when Anandi Jiminez swished a 3-pointer from near the baseline, which started a 15-0 run during the next 5 minutes. The third basket of this run proved costly, as Ashley Morgan was knocked to the ground after making a driving layup with 13:57 on the clock (no foul was called). Ashley lay motionless on her side for nearly 5 minutes while three trainers checked her out. Ashley was able to get up with help and walked off the court supported by two trainers. With 7 minutes remaining in the half the Bear Cubs had jumped out to a 20-point lead, 31-11. The Bear Cubs scored their final points of the half on a basket by Faatimah A with 3:59 on the clock for a 37-13 lead. The Beavers bounced back to finish the half with an 8-0 run to cut the Bear Cub lead to 37-21. Holly Cramer scored the first basket of the second half, and the Beavers quickly scored a field goal of their own. After 7 minutes of play the Beavers cut their deficit to 33-45. But that was as close as they would get, as the Bear Cubs went on an 8-0 run during the next two-and-a-half minutes. Faatimah A's 3-pointer at the 4:59 mark gave the Bear Cubs a 66-42 lead. The Beavers then went on a 9-0 run in the next three-and-a-half minutes. During the final 90 seconds of the game McKenzie Mangino completed the Bear Cub scoring with three free throws and a basket for a 71-54 win. All of the uninjured Bear Cubs played significant minutes and contributed to the victory. McKenzie Mangino scored a team-high 17 points by sinking 6 out of 7 shots and 5 out of 6 free throws. Faatimah A played her best game of the season, scoring 11 points and leading the team with 6 assists and 2 steals. Holly Cramer, who started the second half in place of Ashley Morgan, played well and scored 10 points. Jen Tsurumoto, Anandi Jiminez, and Arianna Hanson each scored 8 points. Skyler Olsen, who led the team in rebounding with 5, scored 4 points. Whitney Edens made a single 3-pointer. Ashley Morgan made her only shot before being knocked out of the game. Jenna Reed has her arm in a sling and hopefully will be able to play the final two Big 8 games next week. Ashley Morgan was sore all over after the game and moving slowly, but should be able to play this Friday against Modesto.

SRJC 62 vs. Diablo Valley 59

Conference Record: 9-1

Overall Record: 18-6

On "Pack the Den Night" the Bear Cubs hosted the Diablo Valley College Vikings before the largest crowd of the season. Earlier in the season the Bear Cubs had twice defeated the Vikings by scores of 71-47 and 70-48. But this time the outcome of the game wasn't decided until the final buzzer sounded. The Bear Cubs scored first on two free throws by Anandi Jiminez 70 seconds in to the game. The Vikings answered with a 3-pointer and a field goal. The first Bear Cub field goal finally came at the 17:21 mark on a basket by McKenzie Mangino. After four missed shots, the Bear Cubs sank their next three to put them ahead 10-5 at the 12:40 mark. With 9 minutes to go the Bear Cub lead was up to 15-9. But they didn't score again until Jenna Reed hit a single free throw with 5 minutes on the clock for a 16-12 lead. The Vikings tied the score at 18 with a field goal with 3:40 left in the half. Six Bear Cub free throws and a basket by Cynthia Arata in the final 2:30 of the half gave the hosts a 26-22 halftime lead. McKenzie Mangino scored the first basket 44 seconds into the second half. Then the Bear Cub shooters hit another cold streak. The Vikings hit two 3-pointers to tie the score at 28 with 16:48 on the clock. Anandi Jiminez sank the Bear Cubs' second field goal of the half at the 15:54 mark to put her team ahead 32-30. Anandi Jiminez's second field goal of the half came with 13:52 left and gave the Bear Cubs a 39-34 lead. The Vikings' fourth 3-pointer of the half tied the game at 48 with 8:21 left. Two single Viking free throws in the next 1:23 gave them a 50-48 lead. The Bear Cubs retook the lead on Whitney Edens' second 3-pointer of the half, 51-50. With just under 2 minutes to go the game was tied at 55. Jen Tsurumoto hit one of two free throws with 1:33 left. Twenty seconds later the Vikings scored to take the lead 57-56. Jen Tsurumoto answered with a field goal with 51 second to play. The Vikings then scored 11 seconds later to reclaim the lead 59-58. Anandi Jiminez was fouled with 23 seconds left and converted the 1+1 situation for a 60-59 lead. The Vikings pushed the ball into their front court and Ashley Morgan intercepted the pass in front of the Viking bench, took a few dribbles and passed ahead to Whitney Edens for a lay-up with 6 seconds remaining. Following their final timeout, the Vikings tried to advance the ball against full court pressure but had to settle for a desperation shot from midcourt that missed everything, allowing the Bear Cubs to escape with a 62-59 win. The Bear Cubs shot poorly from the field (8 for 26, 31% in the first half and 12 for 30, 40% in the second half), but won the battle at the free throw line. They made 79% of their free throws (19 for 24), while the Vikings sank 8 out of 14 (57%). Jen Tsurumoto led the Bear Cubs in scoring with 13 points, including 7 out of 9 free throws. Anandi Jiminez made all 8 of her free throws and finished with 12 points. Anandi Jiminez had her third double-double of the season as she grabbed 10 rebounds. Whitney Edens scored some big baskets and finished with 10 points. Ashley Morgan and McKenzie Mangino each had 8 points, Arianna Hanson 6, Jenna Reed 3, and Cynthia Arata 2. Anandi Jiminez led the team in assists with 4, and Ashley Morgan led in steals with 4.
Jenna Reed dislocated her shoulder attempting a steal early in the second half. The training staff was able to reduce the joint and place her arm in sling.

SRJC 64 vs. Sierra 59

Conference Record: 8-1

Overall Record: 17-6

Tuesday, January 31st was Coaches vs. Cancer night at Haehl Pavilion as the Bear Cubs (16-6, 7-1) hosted the Sierra College Wolverines (16-7, 6-2). The Wolverines' Morgan Ragan sank the first shot of the game—a 3-pointer. The Bear Cubs scored their first basket two minutes into the game on a putback by Anandi Jiminez, then proceeded to score 5 more unanswered points for a 7-3 lead at the 15:44 mark. Ragan's second 3-pointer 74 seconds later got her team to within one at 8-9. Two more Ragan 3-pointers helped lift her team to a 20-15 lead at the 10-minute mark. Three straight Bear Cub baskets put the hosts back in the lead 21-20. Then the Bear Cubs missed their next 8 shots before Jen Tsurumoto sank a jumper with 4:46 on the clock, making the score 23-26. With 45 seconds to go in the half the Sierra lead was up to 32-27. Arianna Hanson scored the final two baskets of the half, the second with 3 seconds left to get the Bear Cubs within one point, 31-32, going into halftime. The Bear Cubs scored the first two baskets of the second half—a close shot by Anandi Jiminez and a 3-pointer by Jenna Reed. The Wolverines answered back with a field goal and 3-pointer of their own. With 16 minutes on the clock, the Wolverines had increased their lead to 42-37. A free throw by Whitney Edens at the 13:53 mark got the Bear Cubs to within three at 41-44. Then Ragan sank her fifth 3-pointer of the game (she came into the game having made only 23 in 20 games) to give her team a 6-point lead. Two Wolverine free throws with 12:56 on the clock gave them their largest lead 49-41. Following a Bear Cub timeout the team switched to a trapping zone defense. The Bear Cub defense came up with 4 steals in a row and didn't allow the Wolverines to score again until the 5:50 mark. By that time the rejuvenated Bear Cub offense brought their point total up to 54. At the 4-minute mark the Bear Cubs held a slim 56-53 lead. After a Bear Cub free throw, a Wolverine 3-pointer with 3:27 left got them to within one point at 57-56. A basket by McKenzie Mangino and a putback by Anandi Jiminez in the next minute raised the score to 61-56. The Wolverines were forced to foul and the Bear Cubs made 2 out of 4 free throws in the next 2 minutes to increase their lead to 63-56. The Wolverines didn't score again until they sank a 3-pointer (their 12th of the game) with 11 seconds remaining. Jen Tsurumoto sank one out of 2 free throws with 9 seconds to get the final score to 64-59. Anandi Jiminez was the leading scorer for the Bear Cubs with 20 points. (Morgan Ragan had a season-high 20 points to lead her team.) Point guard Jen Tsurumoto had her first double-double of her career with 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also passed for 4 assists. Arianna Hanson scored 9 points and Jenna Reed 7. Ashley Morgan had 5 points and 8 rebounds and sparked the defense, coming up with 6 steals. McKenzie Mangino added 4 points and 9 rebounds, 7 of them offensive. Whitney Edens scored 2 points but played an important role in the defensive turnaround in the second half. The Bear Cubs shot poorly from the free throw line (13 for 29, 45%), but that was 8 more than the Wolverines sank (5 out of 11, 45%).

Note: With donations and the larger crowd attending the men's game, Coaches vs. Cancer night raised nearly $1000 for the American Cancer Society.

SRJC 62 vs. Sac City 34

Conference Record: 7-1

Overall Record: 16-6

The Bear Cubs started the second round of Big 8 play by getting stuck in traffic on the way to Sacramento City College. The start of the game was delayed because the referees were also stuck in traffic. The Panthers scored the first 4 points of the game before Jen Tsurumoto finally put the Bear Cubs on the scoreboard by converting a 3-point play at the 18:09 mark. Arianna Hanson's basket 1:27 later put the Bear Cubs ahead for good. A Panther 3-pointer at the 14-minute mark got them to within three at 7-10. Two baskets in a row by Cynthia Arata and one by Julia Cratty increased the Bear Cub lead to 17-8 with 9 minutes in the half. The Bear Cubs only took 9 more shots in the half, but they made 6 of them, including 4 in a row by McKenzie Mangino, for a 32-15 halftime lead. McKenzie Mangino scored the first basket of the second half, and the Panthers answered with a basket on their next possession. But the Bear Cubs held the Panthers scoreless for the next 6:40 while increasing their lead to 40-17. Seven points in a row by Anandi Jiminez, and then 4 in a row by Ashley Morgan made the score 55-23 with just under 10 minutes to play. The Bear Cub shooters went cold, making only 3 out of 16 shots the remainder of the game. But their defense continued to make it tough for the Panthers to score, resulting in a final score of 62-34. McKenzie Mangino, who only picked up one foul in the game, led the scoring with 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Anandi Jiminez scored 10 points by making 2 out of 3 shots and sinking 6 out of 7 free throws, and came down with 4 offensive and 4 defensive rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto, who only took one shot in the second half, finished with 8 points but passed for 6 assists. Ashley Morgan added 7 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Arianna Hanson and Cynthia Arata each scored 6 points, Jenna Reed and Julia Cratty 4 each, and Whitney Edens 1. Twelve different Bear Cubs accounted for 16 steals, and the defense forced a total of 27 Panther turnovers.

Note: San Joaquin Delta College defeated Cosumnes River College 80-50 to give the Hawks their first Big 8 loss and tie them with the Bear Cubs for first place.

SRJC 59 vs. Cosumnes River 60

Conference Record: 6-1

Overall Record: 15-6

Tuesday the Bear Cubs traveled to Cosumnes River College to battle the Hawks for sole possession of 1st place in the Big 8, as both teams entered the contest with 6-0 records. The Bear Cubs jumped out to a 12-1 lead before the Hawks scored their first field goal at the 13:20 mark. With 8 minutes left in the first half, the Bear Cubs increased their lead to 25-12. Then the Bear Cubs went scoreless for the next 6 minutes making it possible for the Hawks to cut the Bear Cub lead to 25-22. Julia Cratty finally broke the scoreless streak by sinking a 10-footer with 2:08 left. Jen Tsurumoto's 13th point of the half came with 1:16 on the clock to increase the lead to 30-24. Two free throws by the CRC's Natalia Gibson with 12 seconds remaining made the halftime score 30-26. The Hawks started the second half with the ball and scored a 3-pointer. The Bear Cubs answered with a 3-pointer by Jenna Reed 28 seconds later. The teams continued to battle evenly until 2 free throws by Gibson cut the Bear Cub lead to 42-41 at the 15:32 mark. Jenna Reed scored on a backdoor cut 20 seconds later. A Hawk 3-pointer tied the score at 44 with 13:43 on the clock. The Hawks scored 85 seconds later for their first lead of the game and added another basket before the Bear Cubs finally scored again at the 10:18 mark. The teams again traded baskets with Jen Tsurumoto's drive to the basket through traffic with 6:15 remaining tying the game at 53. Jen's final basket with 3:26 left gave the Bear Cubs a 59-56 lead. A Hawk basket with 45 seconds left got them to within one point at 58-59. Jen was fouled hard on a drive with 30 seconds left. Following a timeout and with the large raucous crowd trying to distract her, Jen missed both free throws. The Hawks rebounded and called a timeout with 22 seconds to go. When play resumed, the Bear Cub defense came close to stopping the Hawks, but Gibson swished an 18-foot go-ahead basket with 3.2 seconds left. Following the timeout the Bear Cubs inbounded the ball from the far baseline and Jenna Reed got off a shot from just past half court that bounced off the rim and fell off to the side as the buzzer sounded. The 59-60 loss drops the Bear Cubs into 2nd place behind the Hawks. Jen Tsurumoto, who was nearly unstoppable on difficult drives to the basket past multiple defenders, finished with a season-high 26 points by making 11 out of 14 field goal attempts and 1 out of 2 3-pointers. Jenna Reed added 9 points. Arianna Hanson was playing well and scored 8 points before she hurt her knee when an opponent fell on her with over 6 minutes to go. Cynthia Arata scored 5 points and made 3 steals. Post players McKenzie Mangino scored 4 points, Anandi Jiminez 3, and Julia Cratty 2. Ashley Morgan only scored 2 points but grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds and made 3 steals. Jen Tsurumoto passed for 5 assists and Ashley Morgan for 4. The Bear Cubs shot well from the field, making 27 out of 48 shots (56%), but only converted 3 out of 11 free throws (27%). The Hawks meanwhile made 21 out of 46 (46%) from the field and 13 out of 19 free throws (68%).

SRJC 63 vs. San Joaquin Delta 43

Conference Record: 6-0

Overall Record: 15-5

Friday night at Haehl Pavilion the Bear Cubs, who came into the game averaging 67.8 points per game in Big 8 play, hosted the perennially tough Mustangs of San Joaquin Delta College, who were averaging 82 points in the Big 8. McKenzie Mangino scored the first points of the game on a pair of free throws 41 seconds into the game. The Mustangs sank two free throws to tie the game 52 seconds later. Jenna Reed's field goal with 16:42 on the clock was the first basket of the game. The Mustangs tied the game on their next possession. With 14 minutes left in the half, the Mustangs held a 7-5 lead. The Bear Cubs then went on a 9-0 run during the next 3-and-a half minutes. But with 6 minutes to go in the half, the Mustangs narrowed the gap to 16-19. McKenzie Mangino, who had picked up her second foul just 2:31 into the game and went to the bench for all but the final 28 seconds of the half, scored the last basket of the half with 10 seconds remaining. The Bear Cubs went into halftime with a 26-21 lead. The scoring in the second half started like it did in the first, with two free throws by McKenzie Mangino. But this half the Bear Cubs put their 38th point on the scoreboard before the Mustangs finally scored—a single free throw with 15:17 on the clock. Their first basket of the half—a 3-pointer—came at the 12:35 mark and made the score 40-35 Bear Cubs. With just under 4 minutes to play the Bear Cub lead was 52-39. Then Jenna Reed sank her second 3-pointer of the half followed by four straight free throws by Ashley Morgan to give the Bear Cubs more breathing room at 59-39 with 2:31 left. McKenzie Mangino scored the final Bear Cub basket with 1:15 remaining, while the Mustangs only managed to score two free throws the rest of the way, for a 63-43 Bear Cub win. The trapping Bear Cub defense was able to neutralize the large corps of usually effective Mustang 3-point shooters. McKenzie Mangino, despite sitting out all but three minutes of the first half, led the team in scoring with 18 points by making 7 out of 11 shots and 4 out of 6 free throws. Three other Bear Cubs scored in double figures: Jen Tsurumoto with 11, and Jenna Reed and Anandi Jiminez with 10 each. Ashley Morgan scored 8 points and grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Arianna Hanson added 6 points and 8 rebounds. McKenzie Mangino grabbed a total of 7 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end and converting 3 put-backs and getting fouled on another. Jen Tsurumoto had 4 assists.

SRJC 66 vs. Modesto 44

Conference Record: 5-0

Overall Record: 14-5

On the first day of the Spring semester the Bear Cubs (13-5, 4-0), ranked #5 in Northern California, traveled to Modesto Junior College to take on the #11 ranked Pirates (11-6, 3-1). The Bear Cubs made their first three shots of the game, including two 3-pointers to go ahead 8-4 after three minutes of play. The Bear Cubs' full court pressure stymied the Pirates' efforts to score, and by the midway point of the half, the Bear Cubs had built up a 23-6 lead. But back-to-back baskets by the Pirates' leading scorer, Jamie Myles, ended her team's scoring drought and helped energize them. For the remainder of the half the teams alternated scoring runs resulting in a 38-21 halftime score. The Pirates scored the first two baskets of the second half before the Bear Cubs answered with a free throw by Jen Tsurumoto and a field goal by McKenzie Mangino at the 17:33 mark. The Bear Cubs missed their next 6 shots during a nearly 4-minute stretch, allowing the Pirates to close the gap to 41-30. Then McKenzie Mangino scored two straight baskets and Anandi Jiminez converted a 3-point play to get the lead back up to 15 at 48-33 with 12 minutes left. The Bear Cubs then went on a 14-4 run before Myles sank her seventh free throw of the game with 5:24 on the clock. The Bear Cubs only allowed the Pirates to score 6 more points to finish with a 66-44 victory. Jen Tsurumoto led the Bear Cubs with 19 points, including two 3-pointers. Post players Anandi Jiminez and McKenzie Mangino scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. Jenna Reed added 7 points, Arianna Hanson and Ashley Morgan 6 each, Whitney Edens 4, and Cynthia Arata 3. Ashley Morgan was the top rebounder with 7 and the assist leader with 4. The Bear Cub defense forced the Pirates to turn the ball over 29 times with 10 Bear Cubs accounting for 18 steals.

SRJC 69 vs. American River 37

Conference Record: 4-0

Overall Record: 13-5

On Friday the 13th the Bear Cubs (12-5, 3-0) hosted the Beavers of American River College (1-12, 0-3). The Beavers got on the scoreboard first with a 3-pointer at the 18:30 mark. Jen Tsurumoto scored the Bear Cubs' first basket 18 seconds later. With 16:38 on the clock, the Beavers held a 5-4 lead. The Bear Cubs slowly began to put points on the scoreboard. Whitney Edens' second straight 3-pointer at the 10:40 mark put the Bear Cubs ahead 17-8 and prompted a Beaver timeout. Out of the timeout the Bear Cubs continued their defensive pressure and made 8 out of 17 shots the remainder of the half. The Bear Cubs held their opponents scoreless for the final two minutes of the half to go into intermission with a 39-18 lead. The Bear Cubs outscored the Beavers 8-4 during the first 5 minutes of the second half. Then the Beavers played them evenly during the next 5 minutes. The Bear Cub defense turned up the pressure a notch and prevented a Beaver basket for a 4-minute stretch allowing them to increase their lead to 63-30. Hannah Dolan hit a shot near the free throw line with 19 seconds left for the final basket of the game to put the score at 69-37. All of the Bear Cubs saw action and everyone got a least one rebound. Anandi Jiminez was the top rebounder with 9. Whitney Edens led the team with 12 points—making 5 out of 6 shots—and 4 steals. Five players scored 8 points each: Jen Tsurumoto, Anandi Jiminez, Arianna Hanson, Cynthia Arata, and McKenzie Mangino. Ashley Morgan made both of her shots for 5 points. Jenna Reed added 4 points and Skyler Olsen and Julia Cratty each scored 2. Jen Tsurumoto passed for 4 assists.

SRJC 70 vs. Diablo Valley 48

Conference Record: 3-0

Overall Record: 12-5

For their third Big 8 game, the Bear Cubs traveled to Pleasant Hill to play the Vikings of Diablo Valley College. Just 11 days previously the Bear Cubs defeated the Vikings 71-47 in the Consolation final of the San Jose Tournament. This time both teams struggled from the start. The Bear Cubs missed their first 5 shots before McKenzie Mangino finally scored the first basket of the game on an offensive rebound putback with 17:55 on the clock. The Vikings tied the score at two 92 seconds later. Five minutes into the game the score was just 6-6. Then during the next four minutes, the Bear Cubs scored 13 unanswered points—11 by Jen Tsurumoto. Jen's 3-pointer at the 4:12 mark gave the Bear Cubs their largest lead 28-12. A Viking basket just before the halftime buzzer made the Bear Cub lead 34-19. The Vikings scored the first basket of the second half after 52 seconds of play, then didn't score again until they sank two free throws at the 15:25 mark. Meanwhile the Bear Cubs increased their point total to 44. Cynthia Arata's second 3-pointer at the 10:10 mark made the score 56-30. The Vikings continued to battle to the end, but the Bear Cubs still prevailed 70-48. Jen Tsurumoto was the leading scorer with 17 points—all scored in the first half. Cynthia Arata, who played a solid game offensively and defensively, score 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Jenna Reed sank two 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. Anandi Jiminez and McKenzie Mangino each scored 8 points. Faatimah A added 5 points, Julia Cratty 4, Ashley Morgan 3, and Skyler Olsen 2. Guard Whitney Edens was the leading rebounder with 7. Ashley Morgan was the team assist leader with 5.

SRJC 77 vs. Sierra 65

Conference Record: 2-0

Overall Record: 11-5

Friday the Bear Cubs, ranked #6 in the North with an overall record of 10-5 and 1-0 in the Big 8, traveled to Rocklin to take on the #5 ranked Sierra College Wolverines (11-5, 1-0). The Wolverines jumped out to a 13-3 lead before the Bear Cubs sank their first basket, a 3-pointer by Whitney Edens at the 13:52 mark, after missing their first 8 shots. At the midway point of the first half, the Bear Cubs were still behind 10-19, having made only 2 out of 17 shots. Whitney Edens converted a 3-point play with 8:06 on the clock cutting the deficit to 13-19, and sparking the Bear Cubs who started to click offensively as they battled back to tie the score at 24 at the 2:26 mark. Anandi Jiminez's 3-point play with 59 seconds left in the half gave the Bear Cubs their first lead, 27-26. But Sierra scored just before the buzzer sounded to go into halftime with a 28-27 lead. Ashley Morgan sank a 3-pointer to begin the scoring in the second half. The lead changed hands several times before the Bear Cubs scored 6 straight points, breaking a 46-all tie. McKenzie Mangino's third basket in a row at the 3:58 mark increased the lead to 62-54. A Wolverine basket with 1:23 left cut the Bear Cub lead to 66-60. The Wolverines were forced to foul, and the Bear Cubs were able to build on their lead by sinking 11 out of 14 free throws in the final 1:23 of the game for an important 77-65 win. After making only 26% (8 out of 31) of their shots in the first half, the Bear Cubs turned things around in the second half, sinking 59% (16 out of 27). They also shot better from the free throw line than they have in the last 6 games, converting 27 out of 38 (71%). Jen Tsurumoto led the team with 17 points (including 9 out of 10 free throws) and 5 assists. Anandi Jiminez scored 15 points (7 out of 9 free throws) and grabbed 12 rebounds. Whitney Edens played her best game of the season and scored 13 points. Arianna Hanson and Ashley Morgan each scored 9 points. Jenna Reed and McKenzie Mangino each scored 6 points, and Cynthia Arata added 2. Ashley Morgan also grabbed 12 rebounds.

SRJC 57 vs. Sac City 32

Conference Record: 1-0

Overall Record: 10-5

Program / Stats

The Bear Cubs opened 2012 Big 8 Conference play by hosting the Panthers of Sacramento City College. Just 5 days ago the Bear Cubs had defeated these same Panthers in the second round of the San Jose City College Tournament, 63-24. The Panthers scored first on their second possession of the game. The Bear Cubs, who got off to a rocky start, finally made their first basket at the 18:43 mark when Arianna Hanson scored off a nice pass from fellow post player McKenzie Mangino. It took the Bear Cubs two-and-a-half more minutes to score again when Ashley Morgan converted a 3-point-play for a 5-2 lead. Ashley’s 3-pointer two minutes later started a 16-4 run to put the Bear Cubs ahead 21-6 with 7 minutes left in the half.  Skyler Olsen’s basket with 38 seconds left gave the Bear Cubs a 30-12 lead heading into halftime. The Bear Cubs started the second half by making their first four shots, capped by a 3-pointer by Jenna Reed at the 17:45 mark, for a 39-16 lead. Then it seemed like someone put a lid on the basket as the Bear Cubs missed their next 11 shots while the Panthers made 6 free throws during the next 10 minutes. Jen Tsurumoto finally got the Bear Cubs back into scoring mode with back-to-back 3-pointers beginning at the 7:19 mark. Following a single missed shot, the Bear Cubs sank 4 shots in a row, including Jenna Reed’s fourth 3-pointer of the game and Ashley Morgan’s third 3-pointer, to extend their lead to 55-25 with 3:48 left in the game. The Panthers, playing hard to the end, outscored the Bear Cubs 7-2 the rest of the way, but still lost 32-57. Jenna Reed and Ashley Morgan were the leading scorers with 14 points each. Ashley had a double-double by grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto, Cynthia Arata, and McKenzie Mangino each scored 6 points. Arianna Hanson added 4 points, Faatimah A 3 points, and Skyler Olsen and Julia Cratty 2 points each. Jen Tsurumoto only took four shots but passed for 7 assists.

SRJC 71 vs. Diablo Valley 47

Overall Record: 9-5

In their final pre-conference game the Bear Cubs faced another Big 8 opponent, the Diablo Valley College Vikings, for the Consolation Championship of the San Jose City College Tournament. The Bear Cubs won the tip-off and Jen Tsurumoto swished a long 3-pointer 12 seconds later. Then on the Vikings' first possession, Jen made a steal on the press and banked in the lay-up. Baskets by Ashley Morgan and McKenzie Mangino prompted the Vikings' coach to call a timeout at the 18:26 mark with his team down 0-9. The Vikings responded with 6 unanswered points during the next 6-and-a-half minutes. Then the Bear Cubs' full court pressure defense helped create opportunities for their offense. Cynthia Arata's second 3-pointer at the 9:40 mark gave the Bear Cubs a 28-12 lead. The Vikings scored their last points of the half on two free throws with 4:03 on the clock, while the Bear Cubs continued to build on their lead. By halftime the Bear Cubs had increased their lead to 41-20. In the first two minutes of the second half both teams scored a single field goal. Then both teams struggled to score during the next 4 minutes, as reflected by the 48-24 score. The Bear Cubs substituted freely for the remainder of the game and both teams scored 23 more points each for a final score of 71-47. Jen Tsurumoto, who was selected All Tourney, led the Bear Cubs with 22 points while missing only 2 shots, and passed for 4 assists. Anandi Jiminez scored 13 points, making 5 out of 6 shots. Cynthia Arata scored 7 points, McKenzie Mangino 6, and Julia Cratty 5. Faatimah A, Ashley Morgan, and Skyler Olsen each scored 4 points, while Jenna Reed and Whitney Edens scored 3 points each. Arianna Hanson was the leading rebounder with 8.

SRJC 63 vs. Sac City 24

Overall Record: 8-5

Facing a win-or-go-home situation in the second round of the San Jose City College Tournament the Bear Cubs were matched against fellow Big 8 Conference member, the Panthers of Sacramento City College. The Panthers scored first on a free throw 1:40 into the game. Jenna Reed finally put the Bear Cubs on the scoreboard with a basket 50 seconds later. Then for the next 5-and-a-half minutes the Bear Cubs scored 11 more unanswered points. By the midway point of the half, the Bear Cubs held a 16-5 lead. With just under two minutes in the half, the Bear Cubs lead had increased to 31-10, thanks to their trapping defense fueling their energy to click offensively. The Panthers scored just their third field goal and final points of the half with 1:19 on the clock. Skyler Olsen hit an outside shot with 16 seconds left to give her team a 34-12 lead heading into halftime. The Bear Cubs scored the first 7 points of the second half before the Panthers sank a shot at the 17:15 mark. Coach Campbell had the luxury of substituting freely all game as every player contributed and kept up the defensive intensity. Unlike their horrendous shooting performance the previous afternoon against Laney College, the Bear Cubs shot 44% (12 out of 27, including 5 out of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc) in the second half. Their high-energy team effort resulted in a 63-24 victory. Anandi Jiminez was the leading scorer with 10 points. Cynthia Arata scored 9 points, Jen Tsurumoto 8, Jenna Reed 7, Ashley Morgan 6, Faatimah A 5, and McKenzie Mangino and Skyer Olsen 4 each. Chelsea Williamson, Whitney Edens, and Arianna Hanson each scored 3 points, and Holly Cramer added 1 point. Arianna Hanson was the leading rebounder with 11.

SRJC 50 vs. Lany 58

Overall Record: 7-5

In the opening round of the San Jose City College Tournament the Bear Cubs (7-4) faced the aggressive Laney College Eagles (9-4). The Bear Cubs won the tip-off and Jenna Reed swished a 3-pointer to put her team on the scoreboard first. Cynthia Arata stole an Eagle pass and drove full court with a defender running alongside her and banked in the layup for a 5-0 lead. But the Eagles scored 10 unanswered points during the next 5 and a half minutes, as the Bear Cubs made numerous turnovers against full court pressure. Ashley Morgan's 3-pointer at the 10:42 mark got the Bear Cubs back to within 5 points at 14-19. The Bear Cubs missed their next 12 shot attempts before Jen Tsurumoto completed a 3-point play at the 2:53 mark. Meanwhile the Eagles had amassed 31 points. The Eagles scored 5 points in the final 45 seconds of the half to go into intermission with a 36-17 lead. The Eagles scored first in the second half by sinking two free throws with 19:00 on the clock. Arianna Hanson scored 30 seconds later to begin a 15-0 run by the Bear Cubs before the Eagles put their next points on the scoreboard at the 12:45 mark. The Bear Cubs continued to play catch-up and Jen Tsurumoto's two free throws with 1:22 left got them within 4 points at 46-50. The Eagles responded with a field goal with 56 seconds left. Jen Tsurumoto scored two field goals in the last 20 seconds, but the Eagles hit 6 free throws, as the Bear Cubs were forced to foul. Even though the Bear Cubs outscored their opponents 33-22 in the second half, the could not overcome the 19-point first half deficit, resulting in a 50-58 loss and dropping them into the loser's bracket. Poor first half shooting (6 for 28, 21%) and poor free throw shooting overall (13 for 27, 48%), and 25 turnovers led to the loss. Jen Tsurumoto led the team with 16 points and 6 assists. Arianna Hanson contributed 8 points and 7 rebounds. McKenzie Mangino, playing her first game after recovering from a dislocated finger and ruptured tendon suffered in the third game of the season, added 6 points and 7 rebounds. Jenna Reed scored 5 points, Cynthia Arata and Ashley Morgan 4 each, Holly Cramer 3, Whitney Edens and Anandi Jiminez 2 each. Ashley Morgan grabbed 8 rebounds and Anandi Jiminez 7.

SRJC 57 vs. Skyline 68

Overall Record: 7-4

After a disappointing loss in the first round of the San Francisco tournament the previous afternoon, the Bear Cubs (with a record of 7-3) had to try to bounce back in the 1:30 pm game against the Skyline College Trojans (4-6). The Bear Cubs scored first 65 seconds into the game on a basket by Jenna Reed, but the Trojans tied up the game 25 seconds later. The Trojans then outscored the Bear Cubs 8-2 during the next 5 minutes. Jen Tsurumoto’s 3-pointer at the 12:09 mark cut the Trojans’ lead to 10-9. The remainder of the half was a back and forth battle, ending with a Trojan 3-pointer with 3 seconds on the clock to give them a 31-28 lead heading into halftime. The Trojans started the second half with the ball and hit a 3-pointer. But the Bear Cubs scored the next 8 points to go ahead 36-34 with 17 minutes left. During the next 9 minutes the Trojans sank five 3-pointers and outscored the Bear Cubs 23-8, to build up a 57-44 lead. The Bear Cubs got as close as 9 points when Anandi Jiminez sank two free throws with 1:42 left. The Bear Cubs didn’t score again until Ashley Morgan hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left. The Trojans, who finished out their scoring with 5 free throws during the final 4 minutes of the game, eliminated the Bear Cubs from the tournament with a 68-57 victory. The Bear Cubs struggled offensively, making only 34% of their shots. Their opponents, on the other hand, sank twelve 3-pointers and made 47% of their shots. The Bear Cubs also shot poorly from the free throw line, sinking only 12 out of 25 (48%). Ashley Morgan played well for the Bear Cubs, leading the team in scoring with 17 points and in rebounding with 16, including 10 offensive rebounds. Anandi Jiminez scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto scored 10 points and passed for 5 assists. Jenna Reed added 9 points and Julia Cratty 4. Whitney Edens, Cynthia Arata, and Arianna Hanson each scored 2 points.

SRJC 59 vs. East LA 60 OT

Overall Record: 7-3

In the first round of the City College of San Francisco Tournament the Bear Cubs faced the Huskies of East LA College, who came into the game with a record of 10-1. The Bear Cubs scored first after winning the tipoff when Jen Tsurumoto swished a 3-pointer. The Huskies scored the next 6 points before Jen hit a field goal at the 17:05 mark. With 12 minutes in the half, the Bear Cubs held a 14-11 lead. But they missed their next 7 shots, not scoring again until Anandi Jiminez made a field goal at the 5:10 mark. In the meantime, the Huskies scored 9 points. With just over 2 minutes to go in the half, the Bear Cubs tied the score at 24-all on a basket by Arianna Hanson. The Huskies hit a shot with 2 seconds left, to go into halftime with a 29-25 lead. The Huskies started the scoring in the second half with two 3-pointers. Jenna Reed’s 3-pointer at the 15:07 mark were the first Bear Cub points of the second half. With 8:38 on the clock, the Huskies had increased their lead to 46-35. The Bear Cubs gradually closed the gap, and Ashley Morgan’s 3-pointer with 3:18 on the clock, got her team to within two at 48-50. Jen Tsurumoto’s two free throws with 6 seconds left put the Bear Cubs ahead 56-54. After inbounding the ball, the Huskies pushed the ball up the court and banked in a 3-footer in the middle of the key at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Anandi Jiminez’s two free throws at the 3:20 mark were the first points of the 5-minute overtime period. The Huskies sank two free throws 18 seconds later to tie the score. Jen Tsurumoto hit one of two free throws with 1:57 left for a 59-58 lead. The Huskies scored a field goal with 53 seconds left, giving them a 60-59 lead. The Bear Cubs had a chance to re-take the lead but missed both free throws. The Bear Cubs had a chance to score when Whitney Edens rebounded a Husky miss with 10 seconds on the clock, but the pass towards the middle of the key was intercepted. The Bear Cubs stole the ball back, but the buzzer sounded before they could get a shot off. Turnovers (20) and poor shooting (36% from the field and 57% from the free throw line) knocked the Bear Cubs into the consolation bracket of the tournament. Jen Tsurumoto led the team in scoring with 15 points, but made an uncharacteristic 9 turnovers. Anandi Jiminez and Cynthia Arata each scored 10 points. Ashley Morgan and Arianna Hanson scored 6 each, Jenna Reed and Holly Cramer 3 each. Whitney Edens added 4 points and Julia Cratty 2.

SRJC 48 vs. Foothill 56

Overall Record: 7-2

In their first true home game of the season at Haehl Pavilion, the Bear Cubs played in the championship game of their own tournament. Their opponents, the Foothill College Owls, ranked #4 in the State and #2 in the North, were the only team to defeat the Bear Cubs so far this season. Anandi Jiminez scored the first two points of the game on two free throws at the 18:10 mark. The Owls didn't score their first points until the 15:15 mark. Unfortunately, the Bear Cubs missed their first 10 shots of the game until Arianna Hanson finally scored on a putback with 15:04 on the clock. With 7 minutes remaining in the half, the Bear Cubs found themselves behind 9-16. Two baskets by Faatimah A helped the Bear Cubs close the gap. Jen Tsurumoto's 2 free throws at the 4:15 mark put the Bear Cubs up 17-16. But the Owls went on a 7-0 run to close out the half, taking a 23-17 lead into the locker room. The Bear Cubs played good defense in the first half but only made 5 out of 30 shots (17%), which is the main reason they were behind for the first time all season going into halftime. The Owls scored on their first possession of the second half, but Jen Tsurumoto answered with a field goal 16 seconds later. Then the Bear Cubs missed their next 7 shots before Jenna Reed hit a 3-pointer with 13:21 on the clock to give her team 24 points. Meanwhile the Owls moved their point total up to 33. By the midway point of the half, the Owls held a 38-28 lead. Two free throws by Ashley Morgan, a field goal by Jen Tsurumoto, and a 3-pointer by Whitney Edens in the next two and a half minutes cut the Owls' lead to 40-35. The Owls countered with 4 straight points in the next 40 seconds. Arianna Hanson made a field goal at the 6:30 mark, but the Bear Cubs then missed their next 6 shots, not sinking another field goal until Anandi Jiminez hit one at the 2:22 mark. With this basket the Bear Cubs were still down 42-54. They outscored the Owls during the final 2 minutes of the game 6-2, but it wasn't enough, as they ended up losing the tournament title game 48-56. The Owls are bigger, stronger, and deeper than the Bear Cubs, who seemed to have tired legs as evidenced by their poor shooting performance—17% in the first half and 29% in the second half. The Owls, on the other hand, made 24 out of 39 shots for 62%. The Owls came into the game averaging 72 points per game, but Bear Cub defense forced their opponents to commit 20 turnovers and held them to 56 points.
Anandi Jiminez led the Bear Cubs in scoring with 19 points, including 9 out of 10 free throws, and in rebounding with 8. Jen Tsurumoto scored 10 points, also grabbed 8 rebounds, and made 5 steals. Faatimah A made 3 out of 5 shots for 6 points. Arianna Hanson added 4 points, Jenna Reed 3, Whitney Edens 3, Ashley Morgan 2, and Holly Cramer 1. Anandi Jiminez, who was selected All Tourney, averaged 14.7 points and 8 rebounds for the 3 games. Jen Tsurumoto, also an All Tourney selection, averaged 15.6 points.

SRJC 63 vs. CCSF 56

Overall Record: 7-1

In the second round of the Caren Franci Tournament, the Bear Cubs, ranked #6 in the state with a 6-1 record, faced off against City College of San Francisco, who entered the game ranked #1 in the state with a 9-0 record. The Bear Cubs scored the first 8 points of the game on two 3-pointers by Jenna Reed and a field goal by Arianna Hanson in the first two minutes. San Francisco got on the scoreboard at the 17:57 mark by sinking 2 free throws. Jen Tsurumoto answered with a 3-pointer to give her team an 11-2 lead. When the CCSF coach called her first timeout at the 11:53 mark following a basket by Anandi Jiminez, the Bear Cubs were ahead by 10 points, 15-5. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Rams had pulled to within three at 21-24. By the 2:19 mark, the Rams had turned the tables on the Bear Cubs and had gone ahead 29-24. The Bear Cub defense held the Rams scoreless the rest of the half while their offense scored the last 6 points of the half, including a layup by Jen Tsurumoto with 3 seconds left following a steal to give her team a 30-29 lead heading into halftime. Jen Tsurumoto sank the first basket of the second half, but the Rams countered with 6 straight points to take the lead again. When Coach Campbell called her second timeout of the half at the 10:06 mark, her team was behind 39-47. The Bear Cubs regrouped, going on a 14-0 run before the Rams hit two free throws with 3:20 on the clock. With two minutes left the Bear Cubs were holding onto a 55-52 lead. With less than a minute on the clock, the Bear Cubs were ahead 57-54. Arianna Hanson was fouled with 37 seconds left after grabbing a defensive rebound. She made the first of two free throws, but missed the second and a teammate fouled a Ram during the rebound. The fouled Ram hit both free throws to get her team within 2 points. The Bear Cubs worked the ball around to run down the clock, then Jenna Reed sank her sixth 3-pointer of the game with 9 seconds left to give her team a 5-point lead. The Rams missed their next shot, Jen Tsurumoto rebounded the miss and was fouled with 2 seconds left. She made both free throws, accounting for the last two points of the game and a final score of 63-56. Jen Tsurumoto led the Bear Cubs with 22 points, including 9 out of 10 free throws, and 6 assists. Jenna Reed made all 6 of her 3-point shots for 18 points. Anandi Jiminez finished with 8 points, and Holly Cramer made 3 out of 5 shots for 7 points. Arianna Hanson scored 5 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Ashley Morgan only scored on 3 free throws but led the team in rebounding with 12.

SRJC 57 vs. Ohlone 55

Overall Record: 6-1

The Bear Cubs hosted their own Caren Franci Invitational Tournament but had to play at Sonoma State University while the State Wrestling Tournament was taking place at Haehl Pavilion. Bear Cub coach Lacey Campbell set up the tournament bracket and gave her team a tough first round match-up in the Ohlone College Renegades. Cynthia Arata scored the first basket of the game, but Ohlone tied up the game eighteen seconds later. The Renegades took the lead, 5-2, on a 3-pointer at the 16:20 mark. The Bear Cubs answered with 9 straight points before their opponents hit another 3-pointer with 12:03 on the clock. Then the Bear Cubs went on an 8-0 run during the next 3 minutes for a 19-8 lead. The Renegades battled back to cut the lead to 26-21 at the half. Jen Tsurumoto scored the first basket of the second half, and two free throws by Ashley Morgan seventy-nine seconds later put their team ahead 30-21. But by the 13:42 mark, the Renegades had pulled to within two at 34-36. Freshman forward Anandi Jiminez hit her second basket of the game 22 seconds later to give her team a 38-34 lead. The Renegades then scored 6 straight points to take the lead for the first time in the second half, 40-38, with 10 minutes left. The final 10 minutes of regulation were intense. Anandi Jiminez hit her fifth basket of the game with 2:48 on the clock to give her team a 52-49 lead. Jen Tsurumoto sank a free throw 29 seconds later. With 1:20 left, the Renegades hit a 3-pointer, their fifth of the half, to get to within one point, 52-53. Anandi Jiminez, who less than a minute earlier had missed both free throws after being fouled on a shot, was fouled in the back court with 35 seconds on the clock. Anandi swished both free throws, giving her team a 55-52 lead. The Renegades worked for a tying basket and nearly threw the ball out of bounds towards half court. One of their players leaped into the air to save the ball and had the presence of mind to pass it to a 3-point shooter 10 feet from the baseline. Although she was nearly 3 feet beyond the arc, the shooter took the desperation shot and swished it, tying the game at 55-all with 16 seconds on the clock. Following a Bear Cub timeout, Jen Tsurumoto received the inbounds pass and brought the ball up court under pressure. She got a good look at a 15-footer with a few seconds left, but it bounced off the rim. Fortunately, Anandi Jiminez was there to grab the offensive rebound. She put up a shot, which missed, but she again grabbed the rebound. She tried to shoot again and was fouled as the buzzer sounded. The officials put half a second on the clock and the Ohlone coach called a timeout. When play resumed, with the game on the line, Anandi swished both free throws. The Renegades’ desperation heave to their basket fell way short, giving the Bear Cubs a hard-fought 57-55 win. Anandi Jiminez, who made 7 out of 10 free throws, led the team with 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto scored 15 points and passed for 5 assists. Arianna Hanson played a solid game, contributing 10 points and 7 rebounds. Ashley Morgan added 7 points and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Jenna Reed hit two 3-pointers for 6 points. Cynthia Arata completed the scoring with 2 points. The Bear Cubs connected on 20 out of 26 free throws (77%), while their opponents sank 9 out of 15 (60%).

SRJC 63 vs. Riverside 49

Overall Record: 5-1

Prior to the championship game of the Santa Ana College Thanksgiving Tournament against the Riverside Community College Tigers, the Bear Cubs enjoyed a pre-game meal at the Marie Callender’s in Anaheim (that’s right, not all of the restaurants in the chain closed up like the ones in Santa Rosa and Napa), while the outside temperature was in the mid-80’s. To start the game, the Bear Cubs won the tip and Anandi Jiminez scored on a put-back of a missed shot. A basket by Jen Tsurumoto a minute later gave the Bear Cubs a 4-0 lead. The Tigers scored their first basket at the 17:35 mark. Two straight baskets by Arianna Hanson, the second with 13:30 on the clock, put the Bear Cubs ahead 13-4. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Tigers cut the Bear Cubs’ lead to 25-19. A 3-pointer by Whitney Edens, a basket by Arianna Hanson and two 3-pointers by Jenna Reed in the final 3:20 of the half pushed the Bear Cubs’ lead up to 36-23 heading into the intermission. The Bear Cubs’ offense struggled during the first six minutes and thirty seconds of the second half, allowing the Tigers to get within 5 points at 41-36. With 7 minutes left to play, the Bear Cubs had increased their lead to 50-42. Jen Tsurumoto’s field goal at the 4:02 mark made the score 52-44 and started a flurry of Bear Cubs baskets (5 out of 8 shots) to close out the game and end the Tigers’ hopes of a comeback. During this run Ashley Morgan sank two 3-pointers and Whitney Edens also swished a 3-pointer, giving the Bear Cubs 63 points to the Tigers’ 49 and earning them the Championship title. Jen Tsurumoto, the MVP of the tournament, led her team with 20 points and 8 assists. Jenna Reed, an All Tourney selection, scored 11 points and made 3 steals. Ashley Morgan made three out of six 3-point shots for 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Whitney Edens also scored 9 points and made 3 steals. Arianna Hanson contributed 6 points and a team high 10 rebounds. Anandi Jiminez finished with 5 points and 7 rebounds. Cynthia Arata made her only 3-point shot and ended with 3 points.

SRJC 69 vs. Mira Costa 35

Overall Record: 4-1

After spending the day within sight of Disneyland, the Bear Cubs had to focus on basketball and their second round opponent, the Spartans of Mira Costa College from northern San Diego County. The Spartans scored first 89 seconds into the game. Jen Tsurumoto hit a free throw 20 seconds later to put the Bear Cubs on the scoreboard. The game was tied at 6 with 15:29 on the clock. Jen Tsurumoto’s free throw at the 15:12 mark put the Bear Cubs ahead for good. When the Spartan coach called his first time-out at the 11:17 mark, the Bear Cubs had jumped out to a 17-6 lead. Jenna Reed’s 3-pointer at the 4:02 mark gave the Bear Cubs their largest lead of the half, 24-10. During the remainder of the half, the Spartans outscored the Bear Cubs 6-1, cutting their opponents’ lead to 28-16 heading into half-time. The Spartans hit the first basket of the second half on their first possession and with 18 minutes on the clock were down by 10, 22-32. Anandi Jiminez’s 3-pointer at the 14:09 mark capped an 11-0 run by the Bear Cubs, giving them a 43-23 lead. After making only 33% of their shots in the first half, the Bear Cubs went on to make 10 out of their final 20 shots while allowing their opponents to score only 5 field goals during the remaining 14:09, for a 69-35 win. Anandi Jiminez led the team in scoring and rebounding with 15 points (making 7 out of 11 shots) and 8 rebounds. Ashley Morgan was second in scoring and rebounding with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Jen Tsurumoto and Holly Cramer each scored 7 points. Faatimah A, Jenna Reed, and Whitney Edens scored 5 points each, Arianna Hanson and Skyler Olsen 4 each, and Chelsea Williamson and Julia Cratty 2 each. Cynthia Arata scored 3 points and led the team in steals with 4.

SRJC 64 vs. LA Valley 51

Overall Record: 3-1

The Lady Bear Cubs spent Thanksgiving Day and night driving over 460 miles to get to a hotel across the street from Disneyland and play in the Santa Ana College Tournament Friday-Sunday. The Bear Cubs opened up against the L.A. Valley Monarchs in the 5:00 pm game. Jenna Reed scored the first basket of the game, then 5 out of the Bear Cubs’ next 7 points to give her team a 9-7 lead after 6 minutes of play. The lead changed hands several times in a closely contested game until the Monarchs tied the game for the last time at 21-all with 7 minutes left in the half. The Bear Cubs went on a 7-0 run before the Monarchs scored a free throw at the 1:32 mark. Jen Tsurumoto swished a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the half to give the Bear Cubs a 32-24 advantage at the buzzer. The Bear Cubs scored the first 4 points of the second half on a free throw by Ashley Morgan and a 3-pointer by Jenna Reed. With 14 minutes left in the game, the Bear Cubs were up 43-30. Two minutes later, the Bear Cubs had their biggest lead of the game, 50-30. The Monarchs responded with a 7-0 run of their own until Whitney Edens sank a 3-pointer at the 10:10 mark. When Jen Tsurumoto scored the Bear Cubs’ last points of the game at the 5:26 mark, her team led 64-46. The Bear Cub defense held their opponents to 5 points the rest of the game to finish with a 64-51 win. Jenna Reed, who played her best game of the season, led the team in scoring with 13 points and in steals with 4. Jen Tsurumoto scored 10 points and Anandi Jiminez 9. Ashley Morgan and Cynthia Arata each accounted for 7 points, Whitney Edens and Arianna Hanson 5 each, Holly Cramer and Faatimah A each hit a 3-pointer, and Julia Cratty scored a field goal in the first half. Ashley Morgan, who grabbed 6 offensive rebounds, finished with 9 total and 4 assists. Anandi Jiminez, starting in place of McKenzie Mangino who is out of commission with a ruptured tendon in the finger that was dislocated, also grabbed 9 rebounds. Arianna Hanson pulled down 7 rebounds.

SRJC 69 vs. Delta 59

Overall Record: 2-1

SRJC 45 vs. Foothill 57

Overall Record: 1-1

SRJC 72 vs. San Jose 43

Overall Record: 1-0