Cypress, CA – The Cypress College women's basketball team (4-1) made a statement in their home opener, easily defeating El Camino College (2-2) 81-62. Freshman guard Alyssa Movchan led the team with 15 points and 5 assists to go along with 3 steals while Sophomore forward Erika Nilsen scored 11 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. The Chargers had a lot of help from the bench as freshman Natalie Garcia was perfect from the field, going 4-4, including 2 three-pointers to score 13 points. Garcia also frustrated opponents on defense, nabbing 5 steals. Monique Mesa added 13 points and 7 rebounds while Sylvia Garcia chipped in 11 points, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
The Chargers and Warriors struggled to find rhythm in the first quarter as neither team was able to hit a field goal until the 7:29 mark when Movchan hit a layup. A minute later, Garcia made a jump shot for the second field goal of the game off a pass from Movchan, giving the Chargers a 5-1 lead. The Warriors managed to take a 7-6 lead but the momentum shifted after Cypress went on an 11-0 run to finish the quarter.
The second quarter developed into a lopsided affair as freshman Dominique Culhno opened up the quarter with a three-point shot. The Chargers stifling defense held the Warriors to 5-13 shooting for the quarter. Leading 38-20 with 25 seconds left, Alyssa Movchan kicked out a pass to Natalie Garcia who hit a buzzer-beating triple to finish the half.
The Warriors managed to find their offense in the third quarter, but Chargers weren't ready to let up. Both teams shot evenly as El Camino shot 8-16 form the field while Cypress went 8-17. The teams traded baskets throughout the quarter until Cypress guard Dominique Culho made a half-court shot with 4 seconds left to give her team a 59-38 lead.
Held to only two points before the start of the fourth quarter, sophomore captain Erika Nilsen came up with some timely shots in the final frame to put the Warriors away. She went 4-4 from the field, including a three-pointer before heading to the bench with a 74-55 Charger lead. Cypress would go on to defeat El Camino 81-62.
The Chargers will play their next few games at home when they host the 32nd Lady Charger Classic from December 4th to 6th. They will play their opening game against LA Southwest at 6:00 PM on Friday, December 4th.
