Reedley Women's Basketball Splits on the road at LA Southwest Tournament, Opens Season 2–1
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Reedley College women's basketball team tipped off its 2025–26 campaign with a demanding three-game stretch in Southern California, coming away with two wins and one loss over three consecutive days. The Tigers opened strong with a dominant 74–45 victory over Palo Verde on November 6, stumbled in a narrow 69–65 loss to LA Southwest the next day, and bounced back to defeat Ventura 61–53 on November 8.
Game 1: Reedley 74, Palo Verde 45 (Nov. 6)
Reedley opened its season in commanding fashion, racing past Palo Verde behind a balanced offensive attack and smothering defense. The Tigers jumped out to a 29–9 first-quarter lead and never looked back.
Sophomore guard Taylor Sutherland led the way with 25 points, 17 steals, and five made free throws, displaying relentless energy on both ends of the floor. Leila Perez added 13 points off the bench, knocking down three triples, while Raquel Cortez contributed 12 points and three assists.
Reedley forced 24 turnovers and recorded 32 steals as a team, disrupting Palo Verde's rhythm throughout. The defense limited the Pirates to 34.5% shooting and just one made three-pointer on 14 attempts.
Palo Verde's Anaiah Brown was a bright spot with 24 points and 11 rebounds, but Reedley's depth and pressure defense proved too much as the Tigers cruised to a 74–45 victory.
Game 2: LA Southwest 69, Reedley 65 (Nov. 7)
In a tightly contested matchup the following day, Reedley came up just short against host LA Southwest, falling 69–65 in a back-and-forth battle that saw several lead changes.
LA Southwest's Rian Dillihunt put on a show, scoring 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including four three-pointers. Her clutch shooting down the stretch helped the Cougars overcome a four-point halftime deficit.
Despite the loss, Reedley showed grit, keeping the game close until the final minutes. Head coach comments after the game emphasized fatigue from the quick turnaround but praised the team's effort and defensive intensity.
"We battled hard against a very athletic team," the coach noted. "We'll learn from this and keep improving."
Game 3: Reedley 61, Ventura 53 (Nov. 8)
The Tigers closed their road trip on a high note, outlasting Ventura in a gritty, physical contest. After trailing at halftime, Reedley erupted for a 22-point third quarter to seize control and never relinquished the lead.
Freshman guard Kenadi Walton had a breakout performance, scoring 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including a perfect 5-for-8 from the line. Raquel Cortez added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Taylor Sutherland contributed 12 points and nine boards in another well-rounded effort.
Reedley dominated the glass with 45 rebounds and overcame 33 turnovers by attacking the paint and converting at the line (22-of-35 free throws).
"The way we responded after Friday's loss says a lot about our character," said Coach. "We stayed focused, played as a unit, and finished strong."
Weekend Summary
Over the three games, Reedley displayed strong defensive instincts, forcing turnovers and thriving in transition. The emergence of multiple scoring threats—Sutherland, Cortez, Walton, and Perez—bodes well for the rest of the season.
With a 2–1 start, the Tigers return home with valuable experience and momentum heading into their first home game of the season vs. Bakersfield College on Saturday, Nov. 15th at 1pm.