Owls’ Late Rally Falls Short in 80–72 Road Loss to Saddleback

Citrus College Women's Basketball fell on the road Wednesday night, dropping an 80–72 decision to Saddleback College.

The Owls move to 1–4 on the season, while the Bobcats improve to 3–2.

Saddleback came out firing, hitting 5-of-6 from three in the opening quarter and using a 13–0 run to build a 29–11 lead after the first 10 minutes.

Citrus responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 21–15 to cut the deficit to 44–32 at halftime. Jhavmine Ave sparked the push with eight points in the period, while Brianna Gomez added five.

Saddleback regained control in the third, extending its lead to 62–46 heading into the fourth.

The Owls saved their best for last, pouring in 26 fourth-quarter points to claw back into the game. Gomez fueled the late surge, scoring 11 in the final frame on 3-of-6 shooting—knocking down three triples. Citrus trimmed the Bobcat lead to just six with just over a minute remaining but couldn't complete the comeback.

Citrus finished the night shooting 25-of-52 from the field, 6-of-15 from three, and 16-of-22 at the free-throw line. Saddleback held a 39–32 rebounding edge and got 34 points from its bench compared to the Owls' seven.

Gomez delivered a season-high 25 points along with four assists, one rebound, and a block. Ave stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, seven assists, six steals, and five rebounds. Maileeh Suasti added 17 points, seven rebounds, and a steal.

The Owls will look to bounce back on Saturday, November 22, when they travel to Fullerton College for a 5 p.m. tipoff.