SAC Falls Short of Comeback Versus Fullerton, Falls 68-61
January 24, 2020

SAC Falls Short of Comeback Versus Fullerton, Falls 68-61

Santa Ana women's basketball fell to Fullerton 68-61 in Orange Empire Conference action.

Video Box Score

SANTA ANA, Calif. –The Santa Ana women's basketball team fell to the Fullerton Hornets 68-61 in an Orange Empire Conference contest on Friday night.

The Dons got off to a solid start as they jumped out to a 19-11 lead in the first quarter. Nyla Bivens and Sunshine Townson had six points each as the duo went 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from behind the arc.

In the second quarter, Santa Ana cooled off a bit as the Hornets we came back with 22 points in the period to tie the game at 33-33 by halftime.

The momentum stayed in Fullerton's corner after the break as they went on a 16-0 run to start the third quarter. A layup from Emily Newkirk at the 3:41 mark finally put the Dons on the board and stopped the run.

As they stared down a 57-38 deficit, Santa Ana began to make adjustments, turning up the pressure defensively to mount a late comeback attempt.

The Dons forced the Hornets into 8 turnovers in the quarter and held them to just 1-11 shooting to cut the lead three (64-61) with 23 seconds left. But Fullerton held on as it knocked down four free throws to walk away with a 68-61 win.

10 different players scored for the Dons with Brianna Aluva leading the way with 13 points. Townson finished with nine points, going 3-5 from three while Newkirk added another nine on 4-5 shooting with four rebounds. All three of the leading scorers came off the bench. Santa Ana's starting lineup combined for 23 points and 12 boards.

Santa Ana dropped to a record of 8-12, 2-4 while Fullerton improved to 13-7, 5-1.

UP NEXT: The Dons are set to host Orange Coast on Wednesday, January 29th at 5:00 p.m.