Marshalltown, IA—Stingy defense in the closing minutes lifted the Marshalltown Community College women's basketball team to a 61-57 come-from-behind victory at home over Iowa Central Community College on Wednesday night. Four different players scored in double figures for the Tigers.
Trailing by eight points with 6:26 to play in the fourth quarter, the Tigers stepped up their defensive pressure. As a team, MCC forced six turnovers in the final frame to rally for its first victory of the year.
Freshman Loralei Siliga (Euless, TX/San Leandro) led the Tigers with 16 points, her third-straight game in double figures. Freshman Claudia Morente (Girona, Spain/Institut Juame Vicens Vives), a key piece to the team's defensive stance in the closing minutes scored a personal-best 14 points to go along with six assists and a pair of steals.
Estelle Eduardo (Villeurbanne, France/Lycee Ernest Couteaux) added 13 points and six rebounds while Alyssa Roth (Clinton, IA/Northeast) came off the bench to score 10 points. Sophomore Victoria Pothast (Melbourne, IA/West Marshall) joined Siliga with a team-high eight rebounds.
Pothast got the Tigers up and running with a three-point shot to open the night, but Iowa Central controlled the lead for most of the first quarter. Siliga scored a pair of buckets to give MCC its first lead, 14-13, but the Tritons answered to close the quarter with a 15-14 edge.
Iowa Central scored the first nine points of the second frame to stake its largest lead, 24-14. Morente and Sarah Kavanh (Marengo, IA/Iowa Valley) each drained a three to spark a 10-0 run as the Tigers tied the game at 26 with under three to play in the half. The Tritons responded with eight of the final 12 points to build a 34-30 lead at the half.
The MCC offense hit four of five shots, capped by a layup from Morente to regain the lead 38-37 early on in the third only to see the Tritons regain momentum. Iowa Central held a 44-39 lead at the end of the third.
The Tigers fell behind 52-44, but a three from Eduardo ignited the MCC offense. Siliga followed up a three from Morente to give the Tigers a 54-53 lead with 3:23 remaining. MCC connected on its final six free throws of the contest to pull away from the Tritons for the victory.
MCC forced 15 Iowa Central turnovers on the night. The Tigers controlled the glass on Wednesday night with a 44-37 advantage. As a team, the Tigers shot 83.3 percent (10-12) from the free throw line.
The Tigers are back in action this weekend for the Emerson Classic at the Student Activity Center. MCC takes on William Penn JV at 5:00 PM on Friday night and Kansas City Kansas Community College at 5:00 PM on Saturday night.
For more information on the Emerson Classic, visit: EMERSON CLASSIC TOURNAMENT HOMEPAGE
