TAFT – The Porterville College women's basketball team is still in search of its first win despite a pair of solid efforts at the Taft College Crossover. The Pirates came up up just short in both games, losing by just five points in each contest.
PC opened the tourney on Friday with a 62-57 loss to Compton College and dropped a tough 50-45 non-conference game to Monterey Peninsula College on Saturday.
Compton 62, Porterville 57
Despite a dominant third quarter a double-double from Neveah Lockett, Porterville fell just short in the loss to Compton.
The Pirates trailed 41-28 at halftime after Compton opened with back-to-back 20-plus point quarters. Porterville responded after the break, catching fire in the third period and outscoring the Tartars 20-10 to pull within three heading into the fourth. But Compton answered late, limiting the Pirates to just nine points in the final quarter to preserve the win.
Lockett turned in a standout performance, totaling 16 points and 14 rebounds. Janessa Garza and Jennifer Gonzalez both finished with 13 points each. Garza added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Gonzalez collected six boards.
Porterville also received 10 rebounds and six points from Alina Gurrola, while Jada Bravo contributed six points.
Monterey Peninsula 50, Porterville 45
A strong third-quarter effort wasn't enough for PC as Monterey Peninsula used a late surge to escape with a 50-45 victory to close the Taft Crossover tourney.
The Pirates trailed just 20-19 at halftime and appeared poised to take control after outscoring the Lobos 15-10 in the third period. Porterville carried a 34-30 advantage into the final quarter, but Monterey Peninsula responded with 20 points over the final 10 minutes to hand the Pirates a narrow defeat.
Freshman guard Jada Bravo led Porterville with 14 points, connecting on three 3-pointers and adding two steals. Forward Neveah Lockett provided an interior presence with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Alina Gurrola contributed four points and six rebounds.
Point guard Janessa Garza finished with six assists to go along with four rebounds, and Jennifer Gonzalez chipped in five rebounds and three points.
Porterville fell to 0-9 overall after the two contests and is back in action on Thursday (Dec. 11) when the Pirates will take on Napa Valley College to open the three-day Wind Surge tournament in Napa.
