Marshalltown, IA—The Marshalltown Community College women's basketball team held its own against Des Moines Area Community College, but the Tigers fell down the stretch to the visiting Bears, 63-56. Estelle Eduardo (Villeurbanne, France/Lycee Ernest Couteaux) scored a career-high 24 points for the Tigers.
The Tigers put together one of their best performances of the year against DMACC on Thursday night. Eduardo buried a buzzer-beating three-point shot for an 18-17 lead after the first quarter and went into halftime tied 28-28. Eduardo sank another three to tie the game at 37 with 2:12 left in the third quarter but a 16-2 run from the Bears sank MCC at home.
Eduardo's big night sparked the Tigers right off the bat as the freshman scored 13 points alone in the first quarter. Eduardo connected on 6-11 three-point shots on the night for the Tigers' highest individual point total this year. Freshman Claudia Morente (Girona, Spain/Institut Juame Vicens Vives) added nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the loss. Sophomore Dalia Cantu (Monterrey, Mexico/ITESM Eugenio Garza La Guera) led the Tigers with a team-high 11 rebounds and added four steals.
It was all DMACC to open the night after the Bears scored the first seven points of the contest. Alyssa Roth (Clinton, IA/Northeast) hit a three to put MCC on the board before Eduardo caught fire. The freshman scored 13 of the final 15 points of the opening frame, including a pair of three-point shots in the final 25 seconds.
Eduardo sank a three to put the Tigers up 23-19 in the opening minutes of the second quarter. DMACC regained the lead, but a three from Cantu put MCC back on top 26-24. Morente attempted a half court heave to beat the halftime clock, but was fouled on the shot. The freshman knocked down two of the three free throws to tie the game at 28 at the break.
Freshman Loralei Siliga (Euless, TX/San Leandro) took over to start the second half, scoring six-straight points to give MCC a 34-31 lead. Eduardo's fifth three-ball of the night tied the game at 37-all with 2:12 to play in the third. The Bears put together a quick 10-0 run before Victoria Pothast (Melbourne, IA/West Marshall) beat the buzzer to end the third as DMACC took control with a 47-39 lead.
MCC trailed by as many as 14 in the final quarter. Despite pulling within five, the Tigers found themselves on the wrong end of a hard-fought battle at the Student Activity Center.
MCC connected on a season-best 10 three-point shots on Thursday. The Tigers held DMACC to just 3-16 shooting from beyond the arc. MCC posted a 47-41 advantage on rebounds, including a 14-9 edge on the offensive end.
Next up for MCC is a trip to North Iowa Area Community College at 6:00 PM on Dec. 5.
