Barrameda helps Griffins reach winning barometer

By ECS Staff
Updated: December 29, 2015

2015-16 GROSSMONT COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-29-15) — One common thread has been seen throughout the NCAA and CCCAA since women’s college basketball has gone to quarters at the beginning of this season. If a team gets to 20 points in any quarter, they usually can chalk that game up in the win column.

That was the case on Monday (Dec. 28) in the opening round of the 28th Annual Grossmont College Holiday Tournament as they hit the 20-point barrier in the fourth quarter (as did Victor Valley College) as they defeated the Rams 72-70.

Grossmont (3-8) was led by CHRISTINA BARRAMEDA (Ramona) and her career-high 24 points. Barrameda, a transfer from Azusa Pacific University, got 18 of her 24 points from behind the arc.

“I really liked how the team gutted it out tonight,” head coach KAREN CAIRES after the victory. “Tonight was a team win with four in double figures.

JAZMINE BRADLEY (Monte Vista), JOANNA DELA CRUZ (El Cajon Valley) and ASHTYN HURRELL (Coronado) all scored 10+ points.

It was a back and forth game as the contest was tied 14 times and had the same number of lead changes. Neither team had more than an eight point lead (Victor Valley in the fourth quarter).

The Griffins had a large advantage with 26 points coming from off the bench, compared to the Rams six. The Griffins also owned the glass as they were a +10 in that category (48-38), that led to a 23-14 lead in second chance points.

Three and a half minutes into the game the Griffins were up five points, their largest of the game, behind one of Barrameda’s three’s, a Bradley jumper and a DOMINIQUE MORRISON (Santana) free throw. Victor Valley (4-11) tied the game up just 28 seconds later at 6-all. The teams would trade points and end up all squared at 16 at the end of 10 minutes.

The Rams and Griffins traded buckets for the first 150 seconds of the second quarter. A minute later, VVC jumped up with a 4-0 run to take a 22-18 lead. That triggered a 8-0 run by GC over the course of 72 seconds to grab a 26-22 lead. Following a Victor Valley timeout with just over four minutes left in the half, the Rams went on a 11-2 run to close out the half leading 33-28.

Just like the previous quarter, both teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the third. With eight minutes remaining coach Caries pulled all five players on the court off as she took a page out of the San Diego Gulls playbook. The team responded by picking up the defense and locking down for a while as the Griffins went on a 8-2 run to pick up a 38-35 lead with just under half of the quarter to go. The team would go on to outscore Victor Valley 19-17 and close to a 47-48 deficit.

Victor Valley jumped out in the final quarter to a 55-49 lead just two and a half minutes in. Over the next two minutes the Griffins went on a 11-2 run to take a 60-57 lead with half of the final quarter to go.

Fast forward to the one minute warning and a 69-all tie. With 54 seconds left, Victor Valley hit a free throw to take a 70-69 lead. It would be the final lead of the night for the Rams. With 20 seconds left, Barrameda hit her sixth triple of the night to give the Griffins the hard-fought win.

The Griffins will face Santa Ana (10-4) in the winner’s bracket semi-finals at 7:00 p.m. at Grossmont College.