Editor’s note: City Times Media’s Danny Straus and David J. Bohnet added play-by-play and color commentary for this women’s basketball game. To watch the video, click here. Audio feeds and transcripts will be shared as they become available.
Knights head coach Andrea Aguilar-Montalban gave her team a speech at halftime after a sluggish first half in which the San Diego City College women’s basketball team trailed throughout.
That speech propelled City to second-half dominance over Cuyamaca in a late-season meeting.
“During halftime, we got that talk (from Aguilar-Montalban) about who wants it more,” sophomore guard D’Ajanae Lewis said. “Either we’re going to let them win and go home sad or turn things around. And we didn’t want to go home sad.”
City went on to force 22 second-half turnovers, turning its four-point deficit at halftime into a 26-point victory. The Knights (12-13, 5-6 PCAC) won, 67-41 at Harry West Gym.
City’s swarming defense forced 38 total turnovers by Cuyamaca (8-15, 2-10 PCAC) and shut down the Coyotes’ second-leading scorer, Shania White, who shot 0-for-23 in the game.
Lewis was instrumental for the Knights (12-13, 5-6 PCAC), recording a 21-point, 11-rebound and 11-steal, triple-double.
She credited her success to her pregame snack.
“Dill pickles. The one in the large container. That’s what was key,” Lewis said with a smile in her postgame interview with CTM.
Knights freshman forward Dahlia Blake added a well-rounded performance of 18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks.
Yasmine Sharpe-Shropshire led the way for the Coyotes with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
The Knights will play its final home game at Harry West Gym on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. against Mesa College and will honor sophomores Lewis, Liliana Maldonado and Ximena Caballero before tipoff.
City will then play its last two games on the road against Southwestern and Grossmont on Feb. 19 and Feb. 21, respectively.
