Golden Eagles improve to 7-4 in CVC with solid 61-50 over COS as state playoffs near

Well, it was the Golden Eagles’ turn Saturday night and when the Lady Giants came-a-calling, West Hills College Lemoore returned the favor, beating COS 61-50 in a game that wasn’t even that close.

Central Valley Conference Standings

The win improved the Golden Eagles’ record to 7-4 in the demanding Central Valley Conference as they prepare for their final conference game on Feb. 20 at Taft Community College.

Jordan Lassiter scored 9 points in the victory over COS Saturday night.

And then it’s on to the State Playoffs.

The Golden Eagles have the second best overall record in the CVC at 18-9 and are currently four games behind conference-leading Fresno City College, a team that has beaten West Hills three times this season, including a 75-73 barnburner in the final of the West Hills College Tournament on December 20 in the Golden Eagle Arena.

Against COS, the Golden Eagles led from start to finish and were never seriously threatened until the final minutes when the Lady Giants closed the gap to just 7 points at 54-47 with just 3 minutes left in the game.

But a quick score from the Eagle’s big girl in the middle, Michelle Brown, and a steal and free throw from Samantha Earl, cemented West Hills’ victory.

“I think we came in with a game plan tonight and we worked together as a team, stayed positive and just went out there and did our thing. We didn’t argue on the court, we just played our game, and that’s what it’s all about,” said Earl who finished with a game-high 25 points.

Angela Cuevas moves the ball up the court against COS.

“It’s been rocky,” continued Earl of this year’s schedule. “We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but I think we’re finding ourselves now, and with the playoffs right around the corner I think we’re going to make progress and go farther than what we think we’re really going to do.”

Michelle Brown had another solid game, scoring 18 points from inside the paint. Once again Jordan Lassiter had a steady game, scoring 9 points in the crucial win for West Hills.

The Eagles led 33-17 at the half and when they came out early in the second half, appeared a bit confused, turning the ball over a couple of times and allowing the Lady Giants to cut the gap to 33-20. But Earl’s basket and free throw upped the margin to 36-20 early on and her play seemed to spark the Golden Eagles.

The Eagles managed to maintain the margin for much of the game until the final minutes when the Giants managed to cut the gap to just 7 points. But that was as close as they were to get in the game.