Suasti, Ave Lead Citrus to Second Straight Conference Victory

Citrus College Women's Basketball earned its second straight conference victory with a 66–49 road win over College of the Canyons on Wednesday, January 14.

With the win, the Owls improve to 5–12 overall and 2–1 in conference play, while the Cougars fall to 5–12 overall and 0–3 in conference.

Citrus set the tone early, jumping out to a 14–6 lead after the first quarter. Despite being outscored by two in the second quarter, the Owls maintained control and carried a 27–21 advantage into halftime as both teams struggled to find consistent rhythm offensively.

Both squads found their stride in the third quarter, each scoring 18 points, as Citrus held a 45–39 lead entering the final period. The Owls delivered their best stretch of the night in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cougars 21–10 to pull away. Jhavmine Ave scored nine of her points in the fourth quarter, while Maileeh Suasti added eight in the decisive run to seal the win.

Citrus shot 35.7 percent from the field and limited College of the Canyons to 30.8 percent shooting, forcing 26 turnovers and turning them into 17 points. The Owls controlled the paint with a 34–20 edge in points in the paint and added 17 second-chance points to build separation. The contest featured four ties and two lead changes in the first quarter, before Citrus pulled away to a game-high 17-point advantage by late into the fourth quarter.

Maileeh Suasti led the Owls with 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting, adding 13 rebounds for a double-double, her fourth of the season. Jhavmine Ave also scored 24 points, including seven free throws, while grabbing eight rebounds and recording five steals. Setsianna Kraynak contributed 10 rebounds and added six points along with five steals, and Brianna Gomez chipped in six points and three rebounds, helping Citrus secure the 66–49 win.

Citrus returns home this Saturday to host Santa Monica College on January 14 at 3 p.m.