RCC Drops OEC Opener to Fullerton

Riverside City College opened Orange Empire Conference action at home Wednesday night but couldn't get past No. 20-ranked Fullerton College in a 70-56 defeat.

The Tigers drop to 9-8 on the year and begin conference with a 0-1 mark, while the Hornets improve to 13-4 overall and start OEC action at 1-0.

Talia Washington continued to be a force for the Tigers and finished with 23 points (8-for-25). N'Dya Parks added 10 points (4-for-8), while Ariel Perkins and Alexa Moreno led RCC's rebounding efforts with seven boards each.

Both teams were pretty evenly matched with RCC boasting a 34.9 field goal percentage and Fullerton shooting at a 34.2 percentage from the floor, but the Hornets were able to knock down seven three-pointers as a team, while the Tigers couldn't get any shot from beyond the arc to fall.

After trailing by seven at halftime, Riverside kept trying to chip away at the lead and pulled within three halfway through the third off a Washington and-one (43-41), but it was the closest the Hornets would let the Tigers get as they held on for the 70-56 result.

RCC has a tough opponent on deck as the defending State Champion, No. 3-ranked Orange Coast College comes to town on Friday at 5 p.m.