The Ohlone women’s basketball season ended Saturday night with a 63-74 loss to the No. 1 City College of San Francisco Rams in the second round of the California Community College Athletic Association playoffs.
It was the fourth meeting between the two teams, CCSF had won the three previous meetings, Fueled by a driven Ganeaya Rogers, Ohlone jumped out to a 17-12 lead 10 minutes into the opening period. The guard contributed eight points in the fast start. CCSF overcame its slow offensive start by ferociously attacking the offensive glass and hounding Ohlone’s offense with a full court press. Second-shot opportunities and Ohlone turnovers allowed CCSF to outscore Ohlone 28-12 over the last 9:17 and take a 40-29 lead into halftime. The second half started in the same manner as the end of the first half, with San Francisco relentlessly crashing the offensive glass and Ohlone having difficulties executing offensively. “It’s been the story all year for us. They knew we needed to rebound, we didn’t get it done…that was the difference in the game,” said Ohlone Head Coach Julia Allender. Immediately following a timeout, Rogers intercepted a CCSF pass and raced ahead of two Rams to lay the ball in. It was the ignition of a 17-3 Renegades run. Rogers scored six points during the run, while guard Crystal McLaughlin added eight points. Ohlone finally regained the lead on a McLaughlin pull-up jumper in the lane to put the score at 51-50 with 9:38 left to play. McLaughlin then hit a three-pointer from the right wing to put the Lady Renegades up by four and prompt a CCSF timeout with 7:24 left. McLaughlin’s three pointer would prove to be the Lady Renegades’ high water mark. San Francisco responded to the challenge with a devastating offensive display, scoring on their first five possessions out of the timeout. Meanwhile, Ohlone buckled under the pressure of the Rams’ surge, turning the ball over on three straight possessions, the last of those three turnovers leading to an easy CCSF layup that capped a 12-0 run and put the Rams ahead for good, 62-54 at the 4:48 mark. However, hopes of a miracle comeback were diminished by a back breaking CCSF possession that included three offensive rebounds and finished with a put-back. Rogers led the Lady Renegades with 28 points. McLaughlin added 16. Ohlone’s leading scorer, Jasmine Rubin, chipped in 10 points even though she was hampered with strep throat. Despite the disappointing season-ending loss, Allender expressed satisfaction with her team’s effort. “I’m really proud of my team,” Allender said. “From last spring until now, bets were against us, odds were against us. They just got it done…they believed in themselves, and they turned the year around. I couldn’t be more happy with it.”
By Kevin Yin
Staff writer
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