Panthers Fall to Eagles in Overtime Heartbreaker, Look to Rebound Against SBVC

A few days after beating Saddleback College 57-48, the Panthers dropped a winnable game against conference foe, Mt. San Jacinto College 70-64 in overtime, bringing their overall record to 6-6.

As the saying goes, "you are what your record says you are." Fortunately for the Panthers, the season is still young, and there are plenty of opportunities to turn the season around. 

Against Saddleback College, the team showed what they are capable of. Guards Jada Cuellar, Ty Peters, and Aleksia Gadea ran the team efficiently and their intense defense, the full 40 minutes, was at times overwhelming against the Bobcats.  

Cuellar delivered 15 points, 5 steals, 2 assists, and 6 rebounds. Peters contributed 9 points, 4 steals, and 9 rebounds, while Gadea added 7 points, an assist, a steal, and 5 rebounds. Cuellar, the second-leading scorer in this game behind Fatimah (18 points), continues to impress. "Jada has insanely high potential," says head coach Kendyl Rizea. "We are waiting for her to realize how special she is. Right now, she's playing to her strengths and following the game plan. But we know she can do those things even more consistently."  

Leading scorer Fatimah Sani continues to show why she's one of the conference's top players. Sani finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds (7 offensive, 6 defensive). At times, Sani is unstoppable, especially when she establishes her position early. "When Fatimah works early to establish position, as we've taught her, she is very difficult to stop," adds Rizea. "Right now, we need her to do that consistently. With her size, she commands a lot of attention, which tires out our opponents and opens up lanes for her teammates — something we saw a lot against Saddleback and in our comeback win against Riverside City."    

The Panthers started strong in their conference opener against Mt. San Jacinto College but ultimately let the game slip through their fingers due to critical unforced errors down the stretch.

The team found success feeding the post and then kicking the ball out for three-pointers. Aleksia Gadea was locked in, shooting 5 of 8 from beyond the arc and finishing with a game-high 23 points. She also added 2 blocks, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 8 rebounds. Fatimah Sani was the second-leading scorer with 17 points, 1 block, an assist, and 9 rebounds. Danielle Singley and Jada Cuellar both chipped in 8 points. Cuellar also collected 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

By halftime, the Panthers had built a 10-point lead. However, the Eagles outscored the Panthers 19-12 in the third quarter, shrinking the lead to just three points going into the final period. The Panthers struggled to maintain momentum as the Eagles answered each run, eventually taking their first lead of the game, 47-46, with 8:55 remaining. 

 The game would go back and forth until the final seconds of regulation. With 55 seconds left and down by a point, Aleksia Gadea nailed a clutch three-pointer to give the Panthers a two-point lead. 

However, with 13.7 seconds left, the Eagles were able to trap Chaffey, forcing the officials to call a jump ball, and possession arrow for Mt. San Jacinto College. The Eagles capitalized on their next possession, tying the game at 57-57 and forcing overtime.

During the overtime period, Mt. San Jacinto outscored Chaffey 13-7, completing the remarkable comeback and defeating the Panthers 70-64.

As has been the case all year, the team has moments of brilliance alongside areas needing immediate attention. The Panthers' talent level shouldn't result in a .500 record at this point in the season. The good news is that the season is still young, and both the coaching staff and players know what they are capable of. It's simply a matter of time before everything clicks.   

The team will continue their conference play against San Bernardino Valley College (3-7) on Saturday, December 21 at 1:00 p.m. SBVC recently dropped their conference season opener against Victor Valley College 87-70 last Wednesday.