The College of Lake County Women's Basketball team delivered a statement win Tuesday night, knocking off #22 nationally ranked Moraine Valley Community College, 82-74, and snapping the Cyclones' impressive 21-game winning streak.
In what can only be described as a game for the ages, fans were treated to a high-level battle between two outstanding teams going back and forth for 40 minutes.
Moraine Valley came out sharp, capitalizing on a few early Lancer turnovers to jump out to a 20-13 first-quarter lead. Following a Coach Mo timeout, the Lancers regrouped and settled in. From that point on, CLC began to find its rhythm on both ends of the floor. The Lancers edged the Cyclones 25-20 in the second quarter, tightening up defensively and executing more efficiently offensively to trail by just two at halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Lancers made key adjustments that completely shifted the momentum. Big-time defensive stops and timely baskets fueled a dominant third quarter, as CLC outscored Moraine Valley 24-18 to take a 62-58 lead into the fourth.
With just over seven minutes remaining, the Lancers pushed their advantage to 12 points, their largest lead of the night. But as championship-caliber teams do, Moraine Valley responded with a run of its own, trimming the deficit to 4 with 4:30 to play. That's when Freshman, Hannah Reyes, delivered one of the biggest shots of the night, burying a corner three to stretch the lead back to seven and swing the momentum back in CLC's favor.
From there, the Lancers showed poise and composure down the stretch, controlling the final four minutes to secure the 82-74 victory.
CLC was led by Arianna Myers, who provided a huge spark off the bench with 23 points. Monica Sierzputowski recorded a dominant double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Olivia Robinson added 14 points and five assists. Annamaria Luna orchestrated the offense with 13 points and nine assists in a complete team effort.
With the win, the Lancers move to 22-5 and 9-2 in conference play, as they continue to build momentum as they head into the final stretch of the regular season.
The Lancers will return to action on Thursday, February 12th, as they host Prairie State College with tipoff scheduled for 5:15 p.m.
