Hawks post big rally, fall to Ottawa in O.T.

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: December 2, 2022

Ottawa University (Ariz.) standout guard Marlee Johnson / OUAZ courtesy phoyo

2022-23 SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ECS staff report

SUNRISE, Ariz. — A frantic fourth-quarter rally saw the San Diego Christian College women’s basketball team score 27 points, but host Ottawa University of Arizona was able to force overtime, eventually winning 78-72 in Thursday’s (Dec. 1) Golden State Athletic Conference thriller at Faith Arena.

Both ballclubs had chances to win in the closing seconds of regulation.

Hawks reserve guard Mamaeia Makoni drilled a 3-point shot — her lone bucket of the contest — to take their first lead since the early going with 20 seconds remaining.

Elaina Martinez

“It was a great fourth quarter,” exclaimed Hawks head coach Anessa Wolfblack. “I was proud of the fight and resiliency our team showed.”

Then the pressure got to both teams.

Spirit guard Sierra Kiser could only make one of two foul shots to tie the ballgame at 66-all with 11 seconds left, then SDCC missed a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer.

Ottawa then scored the first six points in the extra period, then played the Hawks even the rest of the way to take the OT, 12-6.

Sophomore transfer Elaina Martinez, who had been playing about 25 minutes per game, but has increased her role well over 30 minutes over the past month, paced all Hawks scorers with 14 points. The total was her second-best of the season (17 vs. Menlo).

Brianna Humphries

Meanwhile, freshman forward Brianna Humphries came off the bench to contribute 13 points and a game-best 12 rebounds in her first action of the season.

“We had 19 offensive rebounds, 34 points in the paint — that’s a good place for our team to be,”: added Wolfblack. “However, the lack of scoring in the first quarter dug us into a hole that we could not recover from.”

The performance off the Ottawa glass was divided among six Hawks, including a half-dozen by Humphries.

OUAZs Marlee Johnson / Instagram

For Ottawa, sophomore guard Marlee Johnson scored a game-high 21 points, including four in the extra period.

The team statistics were fairly even, except one area which cost the Hawks; they were 14-for-29 at the foul line.

The Spirit also features former Christian High guard Jaya Little, a sophomore, who did not play.

San Diego Christian (2-7 overall, 0-3 GSAC) cap the brief, two-game road trip on Saturday at Arizona Christian, starting at 10 a.m. PT.

The Spirit moves to 5-5 overall(1-2GSAC), the second-best 10-game mark in program history.

Note: The 27 points by the Hawks match their best effort since getting 27 against Cal Maritime more than 14 months ago.

Men

In the second half of the GSAC doubleheader, San Diego Christian College was trounced by Ottawa (Ariz.), 92-51. The Spirit raced to a 49-29 halftime lead, eventually mounting a 41-point lead.

Down 8-0, the Hawks needed only five minutes to finally score. The early deficit reached 19-6, with the victory put away early by the host Spirit (6-2 overall, 2-1 GSAC)

San Diego Christian (1-3, 0-3 conference) received 17 points from Greg Chew, but the four remaining starters also combined for just 17.

The Hawks play at Arizona Christian on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT.