SCC women top Contra Costa; Men fall to Comets

ROCKVILLE — A 12-point lead nearly evaporated in the second half, but the Solano Community College women’s basketball team held on for a 52-46 Bay Valley Conference victory over visiting Contra Costa College Wednesday at Solano Gym.

The Falcons weathered a 3 minute, 31 second scoring drought in the final five minutes, watching a 46-34 lead shrink to 49-46 with 40 seconds to play.

Solano’s Lucy Santos sank a pull-up jumper from the paint to give the Falcons some breathing room at 51-46 with 27.5 seconds left.

Santos then closed it out with a pair of free throws for the final margin with 16.5 seconds remaining, securing a fifth straight victory for the Falcons (9-8, 6-1 BVC).

With the win, Solano finished the first go-around in BVC play in a three-way tie for first place with Laney and Mendocino.

“I always thought we were in control of the game,” said Falcons coach Matt Borchert. “I thought our defensive game plan was solid and kept them at bay.”

That was certainly true. Despite the late scoring hiccup, Solano also did well taking care of the ball, turning it over just four times in the second half.

“That’s huge,” Borchert said. “Those were the two things we talked about, rebounding and valuing the basketball and we did that well.”

The Comets did outrebound the Falcons 49-35, but the home team managed to get the important ones, and made the most of the ones they got.

“I really thought that we rebounded well. I know there was sequences where we had a rough time, but we knew we would,” Borchert said. “They’re a very good rebounding team. They’re very athletic, but I though overall throughout the full 40 minutes, we certainly battled big time and we got big rebounds and we got certainly at key times we got the rebounds.”

Contra Costa had three players in double figures on the glass, while Ariel Clay was the lone Falcon to do it with 13 rebounds and 13 points.

Taylor Hamilton led the Falcons on offense with 14 points. Kristina Kountouris and Santos each pulled down seven boards.

Solano visits Yuba on Friday.

Solano men fall to Contra Costa

ROCKVILLE — A dismal second half erased any gains the Solano Community College men’s basketball team might have made Wednesday night as the Falcons fell 63-53 to Contra Costa College in Bay Valley Conference play.

Solano (7-12, 2-6 BVC) watched a 29-23 halftime advantage disappear in the stretch of three possessions.

After six minutes, the Comets had taken over the game with a 17-1 run that put them up 40-30.

The Falcons hit on just two of their first 15 floor shots of the half and they coughed the ball up 11 times, including their first three possessions. They shot just 22.8 percent in the second half.

“(I’m) a little perplexed by our inability to come out and be in the second half and respond and to continue doing the things that helped us,” said Solano coach John Nagle. “We turned the ball over three consecutive possessions, they got three easy looks. It took us right out of our comfort, our rhythm.”

The loss returned the Falcons to an early season habit of playing strong first halves and the trailing off in the final 20 minutes.

“It’s frustrating that they play so well and they show what they’re capable of,” Nagle said. “But unfortunately, things that bother us continue to surface and we just can’t get over some of the mistakes we continuously make.”

Things might have been far worse if it hadn’t been for Solano forward Jamarae Moss, who put up 10 of his team-high 12 in the final 13 minutes of the game before fouling out.

“He stepped up and did some things. I thought we really needed an answer for some toughness and some athleticism and I thought he provided that for us,” Nagle said.

Lequan Gomes and Corey Doran each added 10 points and Doran had 10 rebounds.