It was a tough weekend on the road for the No. 18 state-ranked Rio Hondo College women's basketball team. At the West Hills College Tournament in Lemoore, the Roadrunners picked up a 70-52 win over host West Hills Lemoore but suffered losses to No. 5 state-ranked Merced College and Fresno City College.
Despite the outcomes, freshman Amanda Lee played well as she totaled 63 points, averaging 21 points per game at the tournament.
Merced 104, Rio Hondo 60
No. 5 Merced proved to be too much for the Roadrunners as they suffered the big loss to open the tourney on Friday. Merced jumped out to a 32-18 lead after the first half and never led the Roadrunners into the contest.
Lee led Rio Hondo with 20 points while Candace Black added 13 points and 5 rebounds. Christina Hilton nearly had a triple-double with her 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Amy Navarro also scored 11 points to go along with 4 boards and 3 assists.
Rio Hondo 70, West Hills Lemoore 52
Rio Hondo got back on track with the win on Saturday over host West Hills Lemoore. This time it was the Roadrunners that jumped out in front early. Rio Hondo was up 23-10 after the first quarter and held a commanding 38-21 advantage at halftime.
Lee led all with 25 points in the contest and added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Black (14 points) and Hilton (12 points) also scored in double figures for the Roadrunners.
Fresno City 64, Rio Hondo 58
Rio Hondo couldn't hold a fourth quarter lead and left town on Sunday after a disappointing loss to No. 10 Northern California-ranked Fresno City College.
Trailing 33-25 at halftime, the Roadrunners exploded with a 23-point, third-quarter to take a 48-43 lead into the fourth. But Fresno City outscored Rio Hondo 21-10 over the final quarter to pull out the win.
Turnovers hurt the Roadrunners' chances, as they committed a season-high 31 in the game.
Lee did her best to keep Rio Hondo in the game as she posted 18 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Hilton led the squad with 12 boards to go along with 8 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.
Rio Hondo, now 9-5 overall, returns to action after Christmas when the Roadrunners compete at the Ventura College Tournament, starting on Dec. 28.