Women's Basketball Advances to Championship with Nail-Biting Victory over Folsom Lake

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The Allan Hancock College women's basketball tournament has advanced to the championship contest of the 2021 Toys for Tots Tournament after topping Folsom Lake in nail-biting fashion. | BOX SCORE

The game, which featured 11 lead changes and 10 ties, was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish as neither team led by more than two possessions at any point. Folsom's largest lead was a three-point advantage in the opening quarter while the Bulldogs built their best lead to five points just before the intermission. The Falcons (2-6) won the scoring battle in three of the four frames, but a strong 17-10 second quarter showing for the Bulldogs (6-2) proved to be the difference-maker on the night. Folsom took a one-point lead with just over a minute remaining in the final quarter after a series of scoring exchanges, but a go-ahead jump shot from Alexandria Paquet with 37 seconds remaining sealed the victory for the Bulldogs. 

As a team, Hancock shot an efficient 43 percent from the floor while limiting Folsom to a 37 percent showing. The Bulldogs also registered 26 points in the paint while forcing 18 Falcon turnovers. Jewelia Maniss led all scorers on the night after pouring in 17 points, followed by 13 points apiece from Kayla Taylor and Alexandria Paquet. Krista Andersen led the reserves off the bench en route to a career-high of seven points, while Taylor dominated in the paint with three blocks.