Mason City, IA—Freshmen Estelle Eduardo (Villeurbanne, France/Lycee Ernest Couteaux) and Loralei Siliga (Euless, TX/San Leandro) combined for 48 points in the Marshalltown Community College women's basketball team's 75-68 road victory at North Iowa Area Community College on Monday night. Both freshmen recorded double-doubles for the Tigers in the win.
Eduardo lit up the Trojans for a career-high 27 points with five three-point shots and contributed a personal-best 10 rebounds for her first-career double-double. Over her last three games, Eduardo is averaging 23.3 points per game and has hit 14 three's during the stretch.
Siliga scored from all over the court in Monday's win, totaling 21 points while corralling a team-high 11 rebounds. The freshman poured in 10 points in the opening quarter to finish one off of her career-best scoring effort.
Fellow freshman Claudia Morente (Girona, Spain/Institut Juame Vicens Vives) added 13 points and dished out a career-high eight assists for MCC. Barbara Araoz (Neuquen, Argentina/Maria Auxiliadota) added nine points and nine rebounds while Dalia Cantu (Monterrey, Mexico/ITESM Eugenio Garza La Guera) grabbed eight rebounds in the win.
The Trojans (4-3) jumped out to a 12-5 lead in the opening quarter over the Tigers, but Eduardo sparked MCC immediately with five quick points off of the bench as part of an 11-2 run. MCC took a 23-19 lead after the first quarter.
The Tigers maintained their lead throughout the second quarter. Leading 34-33, MCC went on an 8-0 run to close out the half with a 42-33 advantage.
Despite scoring just seven points and allowing a 9-0 run to the Trojans in the third quarter, MCC managed to hold a 49-47 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Siliga found her range to start the fourth quarter and drained a three to open the frame. The offense on both ends of the court intensified and MCC found itself tied with NIACC at 56 with under six minutes to play. The Tigers went with the hot hand as Eduardo broke the deadlock with a three. Morente hit a three of her own with just under a minute to play to put MCC up 69-62 and all but sealed the victory.
The win is the first over the Trojans since the 2012-13 season for the Tigers.
After winning the rebounding battle 51-46 against the Trojans, MCC has now outrebounded all but three of their opponents this season. With the team's eight threes on the night, the Tigers are now averaging 7.2 three's per contest, the best mark in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.
MCC returns home to host Kirkwood Community College at 5:00 PM on Wednesday night as part of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team who will take on Southwestern Community College at 7:00 PM in the Student Activity Center.
