Ladies basketball keeps playoff hopes alive, whips Rio Hondo by 43

With playoffs at stake, the Panthers put it on Rio Hondo 93-50 at home, Friday Feb 1.
Guards Tierney Arnold and Angelica Peralta got off to good starts offensively.

"We needed the win. We're trying to get into the playoffs," Peralta said."

Chaffey's back court scored the bulk of the points with Arnold penetrating for tough acrobatic layups, and Peralta firing from deep range.

"I believe that our confidence level was up as a result of the good practices that we had," said Arnold.

Center Christina Menard controlled the boards like a panther on a mission. By the five minute mark she had exerted a level of intimidation that kept Roadrunner players at bay. Stephanie Scott came up with steals, loss balls, and presented a defensive pressure on ball-handlers — creating turnovers that allowed the lead to expand to 56-22 by half time.

The ladies did not take the first half lead for granted as they continued to execute a defensive pressure that surpassed the intensity of the first half.

All-star guard Kyla Smith took over the scoring performance. Smith has a presence on the court that separates her from the rest of the conference. She led all scorers with 18 points, 12 of them coming on three point baskets. Brittany Abram showed up big time with 16 points and a hand full of rebounds. Arnold's 13 points were third in the team scoring , followed by Peralta's 11.

The Panther's playoff hopes are no longer in their own hands. They will have to wait to see the selections.