Lam and Longtin Lead Owls to Championship Game

El Cajon, CA -- Citrus College Sophomores Natalie Lam and Jasmin Longtin combined to score 34 points on Sunday evening helping lead Citrus to a 67-63 win over Cypress College and a berth into the Championship Game of the 26th Annual Grossmont College Holiday Tournament on Monday. 

Sundays contest was tight nearly throughout. Cypress opened up the game with the first basket and led for much of the first half building up a lead as large as seven points just over seven minutes into the game. The Owls didn't rattle though as Lam hit a three, followed by back to back baskets by sophomores Jaelyn Wilson and Taylor Jackson and less than two minutes later the game was all tied at 17-17. 

Cypress would score the next basket, but from there on out Citrus was always within striking distance. The Owls' would grab their first lead with just over five minutes to go in the first half when Freshman Tyvette White went on a four point scoring streak to make it 30-28 in Citrus' favor. 

The Chargers would take he lead back moments later but the lead would be passed back and for three more times before the break with Citrus taking it for good thanks to four Straight from Lam that made it 37-36 at halftime. 

The Owls would open up the second half with a big 10-2 run getting corona unto a from Lam, Longtin, Jackson, and Wilson. Longtin bookended the run and when it was done Citrus was leading 47-38. Not much later, Citrus would have heir first double digit lead of the night, and even went up by as much as 12 points twice. The second time after Lam converted a three point play to make it 58-46 with 12:17 on the clock. 

Cypress was too good to expect to give up though and they made a run at the Owls  slowly cutting into the lead getting it down to two points with just 53 seconds to go. Citrus would miss a shot to make it a two possession game on their next trip down the floor, but they returned the favor to Cypress and the got a pair of free-throws from White to close out the game with two seconds left.

In the win, both Lam and Longtin finished with a game high 16 points. Wilson added 11, a game high four assists, and seven rebounds. Jackson and White added seven a piece, with White coming up with a game high nine rebounds.

With, the win Citrus improves to 8-5 overall and will take on WSC South for Bakersfield College at 5:00 PM.