Merced – The Cypress women's basketball team captured the Merced Tournament crown for the first time in program history as Jeana Magaña was named Tournament MVP and Erika Nilsen earned All-Tournament honors.

The women first faced Lassen, a team they had previously never played against, and won 82-59. Ashley Juarez was the top scorer for the Chargers with 15 points, while Magaña chipped in 11. Nilsen led the team in boards with eight, while Erika DeLeon and DeShields Fajardo each tallied three steals.

In game two, Cypress faced host team Merced and easily took care of business, defeating the team 71-27. The 27 points scored by Merced were the fewest ever allowed by Cypress in the series history.

Five players scored in double-digits against Merced, led by Magaña, who scored 15. Katelyn McCutchen and Ashley Juarez each added 12, while Vivian Lara had 11 and Vivian Martinez had 10. Lara also led the team in rebounds with seven, while Juarez had a team-high four steals. Fajardo led the team in assists with four.

After winning both games, the Chargers advanced to the championship game versus No. 1 Fresno, a team Cypress had never beaten in previous meetings. With the team down 67-57 with 10 minutes to play, Cypress went on a 15-2 run to take a 72-69 lead. Later, Lauren Hong hit two free throws with eight seconds to play, giving Cypress a three-point lead. Fresno had one last chance to tie the game, but a long three at the buzzer failed to drop in the basket as the Chargers won 84-81.

The women will next face Mt. SAC on Friday, Nov. 21 in the home opener for the 2014-15 season. The game will tip-off at 6:00 pm.