Janelle Wong nailed three straight 3-pointers to open the game Wednesday and finished with 15 points to guide SBCC past Cuesta 83-70 in a WSC North women’s basketball game at the Sports Pavilion.
Wong drained 5-11 from downtown on a night when the Vaqueros (17-7, 4-2) hit 11-31 and outscored the visitors 33-6 from beyond the arc.
SBCC closed the first half on an 11-4 run and took a 37-27 lead into the locker room.
Lyndsay Bergus scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half when her team knocked down 6-13 from 3-point land. Bergus was perfect in the second half, making four field goals (including 3-3 from downtown) and both her free throws.
Nanice Kollee had 13 points and Imelda Bealer had her usual all-around game with eight points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals.
Fourteen Vaqueros played and 11 got into the scoring column.
“We didn’t press until later in the first half and that made a difference,” said coach Sandrine Krul, whose team has won three straight and six of its last eight. “We have a team of wonderful shooters and our shots look so beautiful when they go in but then we are horrible when they don’t. It’s like feast or famine.”
Cuesta closed an 11-point deficit to three at 53-50 before the Vaqueros put the game away with a 24-7 burst, ignited by a follow shot from Jennifer Jimenez and a steal and layin by Kollee. Bergus then scored seven straight points and Wong added a triple to cap a 14-3 run that boosted the lead to 67-53.
Santa Barbara enjoyed a 20-point lead (77-57) after back-to-back driving layups by Bealer and Kollee with 4:15 remaining.
The Vaqueros are tied for second in the WSC North with Moorpark. They’ll host the Raiders on Saturday at 7 p.m.
