HORNETS STEAL ONE FROM SANTA ANA

Fullerton took on No. 21 Santa Ana College at home Wednesday night and stunned the Dons 53-50, in an Orange Empire Conference showdown.

The win gives the Hornets their 10th victory of the season improving to 10-9 overall and 2-1 in OEC play. Santa Ana dropped to 12-6 overall and fell to 0-2 in conference action.

FC fell behind 6-2 in the opening minutes, but the Hornets responded with a 12-6 run to seize a six-point advantage (14-8) with two minutes left in the first quarter. By the end of the period, Fullerton held a slim 15-12 lead.

The second quarter turned into a wild-west shootout, as both teams traded baskets and kept the game tight. The score was knotted at 24-24 with one minute remaining until Erin Choi drained a timely three-pointer to give Fullerton a 27-24 edge. As time expired before the break, Anya Beard answered with a jumper for Santa Ana, trimming the Hornets' lead to 27-26 at halftime.

Santa Ana made its move early in the third quarter as a three-pointer by Vicki Om sparked a 7-0 run to open the second half. The Hornets refused to fold battling back to within one behind baskets from Kazey Cruz, Chloe Chang, and Hailey Lakey.

The battle continued deep into the fourth quarter with both teams matching one another shot for shot. With the score tied at 48-48, the Hornets pulled ahead thanks to a free throw by Cruz, a timely steal by Chang, and a strong bucket down the lane by Lakey. With 12 seconds remaining in regulation, Beard struck again from underneath the basket, but Lakey calmly sealed the win at the line knocking down two free throws to make it 53-50.

Santa Ana had one last-ditch attempt to tie the game, but the three-pointer missed as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Lakey turned in another outstanding performance leading all scorers with 21 points and adding 4 rebounds. She currently ranks No. 12 in the state in points per game. Choi recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while dishing out 5 assists. Cruz and Chang each finished with eight points with Cruz also grabbing 11 rebounds. Savannah Hernandez filled the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block.

Up Next: The Hornets (10-9 overall, 2-1 OEC) will travel a short distance to face No. 7 Cypress College on Friday, January 16 in a key OEC matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:00 pm.