Rams’ Season Ends After Valiant Effort against Folsom
Folsom Lake defeated City College 82-56 in a disappointing end to their season.
The Rams fell to Folsom Lake College on Saturday, March 7, ending their playoff run. The Falcons got out to an 8-0 start, and City College was never able to close the deficit.
Despite coming within eight points at the half, Folsom kept their foot on the gas pedal. Anytime the Rams would make a run, the Falcons would respond with a timely 3-pointer or force a turnover, keeping the momentum in their favor.
“I feel like we got off to a rocky start at the beginning of the game, but we also stayed strong and didn’t give up, which helped us cut a 19-point lead down to 9 points,” said North Coast Conference MVP Patriceia (“Trice”) Walsh. “The game had many ups and downs, but overall we fought until the end.”
About midway through the first quarter, First-Team All-Conference center June Lumumba banked in a shot from short range to break City College’s scoring drought. Despite the Rams making efforts to cut into the lead, Folsom Lake had jumped out to a 21-4 lead with 2:20 left in the first.
However, City came roaring back. Walsh hit a free throw with 2:14 left, followed by a layup from freshman guard Tayrn Nasol. On the next possession for Folsom Lake, Walsh stole the ball and went back and forth between her and All-Conference guard Caelan De Vera before downing the bucket.
“One thing we did well was sticking together,” said Walsh, who has recently been named Second-Team All-State freshman guard. Even when times got hard, and people made mistakes, we stuck together and rode it out as a team, instead of getting upset with one another.”
The Rams’ leap into the double digits allowed them to finish the first quarter down 25-11. City College kept its foot on the gas in the second quarter, outscoring Folsom 17-11.
The Rams’ defensive intensity led to several steals and second-chance opportunities, and by halftime, City pulled within eight points – 36-28 Folsom.
However, Folsom kept their foot on the gas, scoring a whopping 31 points in the third. This led to a deficit too large for the Rams to overcome, as City scored just 21 and 7 points in the third and fourth frames.
“The game could have [gone] better,” said sophomore standout Stephanie Salazar. “We all weren’t really in the right [mindset] to begin with.”
“Even during the game, no one was communicating on defense or offense, so we were just all over the place. Then we started throwing up shots instead of making the extra pass, which we needed to do,” Salazar said.
The young Rams squad boasts nine freshmen on the roster. Their playoff experience has already fueled the squad in their offseason practices, so fans can expect a hungry team next season.
