Panthers Shake Off Opening Loss With Convincing Win

The Panthers women's basketball team opened their 2024-25 season with mixed results at the PCC Sisterhood of Champions Tournament in Pasadena. After a tough 63-71 loss to Fullerton College in Friday's season opener, the Panthers rebounded with a dominant 89-36 victory against the Lancers on Saturday, returning to Rancho Cucamonga with a 1-1 record.

Head Coach Kendyl Rizea expressed frustration with the team's defensive performance against Fullerton, stating, "Our play, particularly on defense, was unrecognizable." Despite holding a halftime lead and shooting over 50% from the floor, the Panthers gave up 20 second-chance points, ultimately costing them the game. Fatimah Sani led Chaffey with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while Danielle Singley added 16 points and 4 assists.

The coaching staff challenged the team to respond after the loss, and they answered the call with a dominating 89-36 win over Pasadena City College. "That's the team we recognize," said Coach Rizea, praising the defense that nearly doubled Pasadena in rebounds, 60 to 36. Even more crucially, in contrast to the previous game, the Panthers only allowed 5 second-chance points.

Point guards Ty Peters and Jada Cuellar set the tone with aggressive full-court defense and the ability to direct the teams' offense. Peters finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds (6 offensive), 5 assists, and 2 steals, while Cuellar contributed 7 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 rebounds.

Freshman Danielle Singley had a breakout performance, leading the team with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. The frontcourt duo of Fatimah Sani and Aerilynn Young controlled the boards and shot a combined 58% from the field. Freshman Alexa Castricone added 18 points, while Young also tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds. Lexi Gadea, who recorded 8 steals over the weekend showed why she will be a key contributor throughout the season.

All-Tournament Honors for Sani and Singley
Sophomore Fatimah Sani and freshman Danielle Singley were named to the All-Tournament Team. Sani averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds per game, while Singley averaged 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, committing just two turnovers throughout the tournament.

Up Next: Home Opener and Canned Food Drive
The Panthers will host LA Trade-Tech on Tuesday, November 5th at 5:00 pm for their home opener. The game will also serve as Chaffey's annual canned food drive, with free admission for those who bring canned goods.