The Lady Knights basketball team opened their season at home with a disappointing game on Nov. 13. After hanging close in the first half, the Knights lost their edge by allowing the Saddleback Gauchos to maintain control of the court with their strong offense.

The Saddleback College women’s team showed no mercy against the Lady Knights and played like the defending champions that they are, making it a hard game overall. 

The Lady Knights played with heart, but seemed to still be practicing on the court, making the game difficult to watch. It appeared as though the Gauchos were running the game even when they sacrificed points to the Lady Knights. 

They managed to hold Saddleback to a close score throughout the first half of the game, getting to halftime with a respectable score margin of eleven points. As soon as the second half started, though, it was obvious that the Lady Knights had lost the promise of a comeback. 

Although they scored a total of 29 points in the second half, the Lady Knights had to work much harder to maintain their score, ultimately losing the game 71-57.  

A quick glance at the box scores gives a hint as to why the Lady Knights struggled in this game. Every single Saddleback player that was on the court had at least one attempted field goal, whereas the Lady Knights had three players who had no field goals or attempts during their time on the court. 

In college basketball you truly are only as strong as your weakest player, and relying on one or two key girls to carry the game can lead to disappointment as it did against Saddleback. 

The season opener was a bitter loss, but the Lady Knights still have a whole season to play. 

To see the Lady Knights roster, schedule, season stats, and coach and team profiles visit www.sdcity.edu/CampusLife/Athletics/BasketballW.