West Los Angeles College wasted no time setting the tone in their matchup against Bakersfield, showcasing their defensive dominance early and often. The Wildcats opened the game with a quick three-pointer from Isabela Ferguson at 9:47, assisted by Aliyah Young, to take the lead, 3-0. From there, the defense went to work, forcing Bakersfield into missed shots and turnovers. At 8:06, Aliyah Young grabbed a crucial defensive rebound after Isabel Acevez missed a layup, keeping Bakersfield off the board.
West LA's energy and effort translated to the offensive side, too. At 6:19, Andrea Hinton capitalized on a Bakersfield foul, sinking two free throws to stretch the lead to 5-0. Bakersfield managed their first points at 6:11 with a layup from Zaila Marquez, but West LA's response was immediate. Alana Young drained a three-pointer at 4:48, putting the Wildcats back in control at 10-4.
The Wildcats' defense clamped down again, holding Bakersfield scoreless for almost two minutes. At 3:19, Hinton hit another three-pointer off a pass from Alana Young, extending the lead to 15-6. Bakersfield couldn't break through, with turnovers like Jessica Owens' at 2:33 leading to a layup by Kyana Davis seconds later. By the end of the first quarter, West LA was firmly in control with a 23-8 lead.
The second quarter continued the same pattern. West LA's defense refused to let Bakersfield find any rhythm, forcing tough shots and capitalizing on rebounds. Kennedee Rankin made her mark at 8:45, knocking down a free throw to make it 24-8 after Bakersfield committed another foul. Seconds later, she followed up with a layup, pushing the lead to 26-8. Bakersfield was held without a field goal until 5:29, when Diamond Brownlee finally broke through with a layup. But by then, the damage had already been done.
In the third quarter, West LA showed no signs of letting up. Rankin continued to dominate, scoring on a layup at 9:02, assisted by Hinton, to increase the lead to 35-20. The Wildcats' defense stayed aggressive, with Young grabbing a steal at 8:25 that led to another basket. Bakersfield managed just one field goal in a four-minute stretch, struggling to overcome West LA's relentless defense.
�� Next stop: On the road at LA Valley this Wednesday (1/15)!
�� Tip-off: 5 PM.
Let's go, Wildcats! ��������