By Sonny Tapia
Women’s basketball lost to Merced Community College in the California Community College Athletic Association quarterfinals at Ventura College on Friday 89-75.
East Los Angeles College ended its season 8-2 in the conference and 27-7 overall.
The Huskies came into this game off of a victory against Pasadena City College and were looking for a win to continue in the playoffs.
Merced freshman guard Suzuna Shoji was automatic from mid-range making 12 out of her 22 attempts in the 40 minute’s she played.
Shoji had the first three buckets for Merced to start the game.
Merced controlled the lead for the entire game, but ELAC kept fighting.
ELAC sophomore guard Jennifer Pool drove down the lane and scored a lay-up to get the Huskies on the board.
ELAC head coach Bruce Turner was hit with a technical foul early in the game for being all the way out on the court.
Shoji took the free throw shots to add to Merced’s lead.
With quick shots coming from both ends of the court, ELAC turned the ball over three times in the first quarter.
Merced’s defense swarmed to wherever the ball was to start the game.
This tactic gave the Huskies some issues when they tried to cross half court.
By the end of the quarter, ELAC was only able to put up 16 points.
Merced jumped back in the game to start the second quarter by causing two ELAC turnovers.
The three point line was used by ELAC freshman guard Adriana Gonzalez twice in the quarter, hitting both of her shots.
The Huskies recorded 11 rebounds beating Merced on the boards.
ELAC also outscored its opponent while still trailing by nine points going into the third quarter.
ELAC sophomore guard Jaelynn Curley shot for 50 percent from the field, contributing a three point shot and two free throw shots, adding nine points for the Huskies.
Merced shot for 15 points from only three players.
Merced freshman guards Malaya Kendrick and Suzuna Shoji along with freshman forward Jada Johnson scored all the points for Merced.
The points came from in the paint and mid-range.
Gonzalez tacked on another three point shot for ELAC, allowing the Huskies to outscore Merced for the second straight quarter only behind by six points going into the final quarter of the game.
The fourth quarter started with both teams answering each other’s shots back and forth in the paint.
ELAC tried to connect with shots from three point range, but only made two out of its nine attempts.
Kendrick and Shoji had 10 points of their own to contribute in the final minutes of the quarter for Merced.
ELAC freshman guard Citlaly Davalos threw up some three point attempts in the final seconds that did not fall.
“I think they played well, but we shot terrible from the free throw line,” Turner said.