Giants suffer Final Eight loss to Palomar

There was a common theme in three out of the four losses for the College of the Sequoias women's basketball team this season.

Points in the paint, and bench points.

When Sequoias (27-4) allowed teams to outscore their bench and get close to the basket, they struggled.

No. 4 Palomar exploited that weakness in the CCCAA Final Eight State Championships and defeated the top-seeded Giants 74-70 on Friday at Las Positas College.

The Comets (28-2) scored 44 points inside the key to COS' 36, and outscored the Giants 33-22 in bench points.

COS star sophomore guard Idalis Rubalcava getting in foul trouble did not help. The reining Central Valley Conference MVP picked up two fouls in the first quarter and forced head coach Ray Alvarado to keep a closer eye on the amount of minutes she played.    

Rubalcava finished with a team-high 16 points in the defeat.

Despite all the struggles, the Giants led by six points early in the first quarter, but that was the only lead COS would have.

Sequoias tied the game four times, and had a chance to force the game into overtime.

COS forced a jump ball tie-up and the possession arrow pointed their way to give them the ball.  

Alyssa Gonzales inbounded the ball to Rubalcava, who was met by a Comet double team. Rubalcava kickrd it out to Gonzales for a 3-pointer to tie it up, but it was off the mark.

Palomar got the rebound and sealed the victory with a free-throw.

The Giants finished their season with 27 wins and undefeated CVC champions.  

COS is expected to return seven players if the current roster stays with the team in 2017-2018.