Cougars Can’t Keep Owls in Check in 62-60 Road Loss

GLENDORA, Calif. – The College of the Canyons women's basketball team could not hang on to a 15-point halftime lead, losing a 62-60 heartbreaker to Citrus College on Wednesday night.

It was another game where the Cougars had a cold second-half shooting performance ruin a strong start.

In the first half, the Cougars dominated the action and were led by guard Qimmah Russo's play. Although she didn't score any points, she did distribute the ball effectively and tallied six assists. She also grabbed four rebounds in 17 first-half minutes.

Russo would finish with 12 points by the game's end.

The Owls kept pace with COC for much of the first half, but the Cougars would close out the first half with a 16-4 run highlighted by a Monica Friedl jumer in the final seconds of the half.

Friedl scored eight of her 14 points in the first half and would also finish the game with seven rebounds and three blocks.

The Cougars held Citrus to a paltry 19.2 percent shooting percentage in the first half while shooting a blistering 62.5 percent in the first half. The Cougars also outrebounded Citrus 18-12.

Canyons entered the half with a 15-point lead. However, Citrus immediately erased the deficit, storming out to a 15-0 run of their own to start the second half before tying the game at 36.

The Cougars didn't score their first field goal of the second half until the 9:19 mark.

Canyons was able to bounce back and build up to a nine-point lead at 50-41 with less than eight minutes to go in the game.

The Cougars led 58-56 with 2:30 left in the game, but a three-pointer by Citrus' Vanessa Garcia gave Owls the lead for good.

The defeat is the second conference loss in a row for COC whose record drops to 3-4 in Western State Conference, South play. COC's overall record is now 13-9.

The Cougars next travel to Lancaster, California to take on Antelope Valley College at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.