Dons End Season with Record-Tying Victory over Riverside City

Prior to the Dons 80-79 victory over Riverside City College, the Dons recognized their four sophomores in a pregame ceremony.
Prior to the Dons 80-79 victory over Riverside City College, the Dons recognized their four sophomores in a pregame ceremony.

SANTA ANA - The Dons rallied from a late 10-point deficit while hitting a record-tying 13 three-pointers to defeat visiting Riverside City College 80-79 in their final game of the season. The win ends the Dons year with a 9-19 overall record and a 3-9 mark in conference while Riverside end the season with a 17-11 overall record and 6-6 mark in conference.

Riverside took the 10-point lead with 3:31 left in the game on a Brittany Williams' three-pointer before the Dons started chipping away at the lead. Vanessa Ramirez sparked the rally with five-straight points on a pair of free throws and a three-pointer before Jocelyn Calvillo converted a free throw to pull the Dons within one at 75-71.

The Tigers got one point back on a free throw before two more Calvillo free throws made the score 76-74 with 1:41 remaining. The next series of points was a Riverside free throw, a Rachel Cain three-pointer, a Riverside jump shot and, finally, a record and game tying three-pointer by Cain that made the score 79-79 with 48 seconds left.

The game-winning point belonged to Calvillo who hit the first of two free throw attempts with 16 seconds remaining following a foul on a defensive rebound. The Tigers would go on to miss their final two shot attempts as the Dons held on for the victory.

The final three minutes weren't the only exciting times of the games as the Dons were forced to overcome a 12-0 deficit after just five minutes of play. What followed was a shooting clinic by the Dons as 10 of their first 11 baskets were three-pointers.

Following that offensive onslaught, the Dons took a 40-32 lead into the break before Riverside reclaimed the lead at 50-48 nearly eight minutes into the second half. The Tigers held that lead until Calvillo's game-winning free throw.

Cain finished with a team-high 17 points followed by Celia Duran with 16 points. Calvillo added 11 points while Alysia Gamboa rounded out the Dons in double digits with 10 points. Riverside got a game-high 26 points from Tori Mitchell while Jordan Lofton scored 18 points and Williams scored 11 points.