The Riverside City College women’s basketball team tipped off the season strong with a 74-64 victory against West La College on Friday, Nov. 1.
The Tigers secured their victory at home on Friday night, putting up a tough fight and playing aggressively throughout the game. Their relentless effort on both sides of the court allowed them to seal the win.
After the game head coach Alicia Berber expressed her thoughts after the victorious season opener, noting some pressure that might be upon her younger team.
“A freshman-dominated team, this is their first collegiate game in front of their families. There’s a lot of pressure, they did a really good job. But there’s still a lot to work on,” Berber said.
Starting the first quarter, the Tigers began making strong connections early in the game fighting to maintain a lead in the first half. Freshman Camille Hickey hit a three-pointer in the last two minutes of the second quarter to secure a 41- 38 lead for the Tigers heading into the break.
Coach Berber highlighted the team’s incredible strengths and resilience to keep fighting, “Their ability to keep going and their diversity. They really had to deal with foul trouble kind of early on and they came back just as tough.”
A bright future is in hope for the 2024-25 season for the Tigers, reflecting on areas of growth Berber commented, “there is a ton of space for improvement, overall, though with a freshman-dominated team and strong sophomore leadership I believe we’re going to do some great things”.
Heading into the third quarter, the Tigers led 48-44. Sophomore N’Dya Parks demonstrated leadership by stealing the ball back from LA, racing down the court to finish with a layup, extending the Tigers lead to 50-44 with less than seven minutes remaining in the quarter.
In the final minute of the game, Freshman Talia Washington stole the ball back from LA scoring bringing Tiger to a ten-point lead. The Tigers held on to secure their 74-64 victory.
Giving the Tigers a positive start to their season allows them to build on their early success and prepare for the season ahead.
