Warriors Fade Late in Loss to Santa Barbara

El Camino College held slim leads after the first and third quarters against visiting Santa Barbara but a poor fourth quarter proved to be the difference as the Warriors fell 58-55 Thursday night at the ECC Gym Complex.

The Warriors (3-8) had three players score in double figures with Ashley Nguyen leading the way. The sophomore guard led the team with 14 points and added a season-high 10 assists with five rebounds while Taylor Hart added 13 points and eight rebounds. Alexia Mason scored 11 points and added five boards in the loss.

For the Vaqueros, Sophia Torres led all scorers with 20 points and Sierra Cavaletto added 10 points in the victory.

The game was close throughout with nine ties and nine lead changes on the night. The Warriors led by a point entering the fourth quarter but an ice cold start allowed Santa Barbara to open up a nine-point lead with 6:06 left, the largest lead of the game for either side. The Warriors did not score their first point in the period until the 5:15 mark on two free throws from Hart and did not sink their first field goal until Jessie Hoffsmith's jumper with 3:38 left in regulation.

Overall, the Warriors were outscored 14-10 in the final period as they shot just 4-for-12 from the field, missing all three 3-pointers they attempted.

The Warriors return to action on Friday night as they host Santa Ana at 7 p.m.