Shiota, Bibb Help Power Warriors to Victory over Cerritos in Conference Opener

TORRANCE, Calif. – Nao Shiota and Kayla Bibb shined for No. 15 El Camino College in a 77-57 victory over Cerritos College in a South Coast Conference, South Division Wednesday night at the ECC North Gym.

The Warriors (13-6, 1-0) trailed by a point at the half but outscored Cerritos 46-25 in the second half to win comfortably. Shiota and Bibb each scored 21 points with Bibb hauling down 11 boards with two blocks and two steals while Shiota dished out five assists and snagged a team-high three steals. Hunter Noa added 14 points and a team-high six assists while Brenna Wilson scored 11.

For the Falcons, Gillian Yamasaki led the way with 18 points while Serena Rendon added 17.

The first half was a tight one as the Warriors and Falcons were tied twice and exchanged the lead seven times. But the second half belonged to the Warriors thanks to a third quarter that saw ECC outscore the Falcons 23-8. The Warriors would extend it to a 40-10 scoring run in the second half before the Falcons went on a run late to break the streak.

Shiota scored 15 of her 21 in the second half, going 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. She scored nine of her 15 second-half points in the third quarter to help the Warriors pull away and record the win. Bibb scored 11 of her 21 in the second half for the Warriors.

Overall, the Warriors won the battle on the glass 41-35 and forced 18 Falcons turnovers for 13 points. The Warriors also held the edge on the inside with a 26-12 advantage in points in the paint.

The ECC defense was stellar with six blocked shots and eight steals. They were particularly great in the third quarter, holding the Falcons to just 2-for-9 shooting.

The Warriors will head on the road for their next SCC, South Division game as they take on L.A. Southwest on Friday evening. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.