With familiar faces on both sides of the court, Skyline women’s basketball competed for an intense 55-53 victory over the No. 12 City College of San Francisco Rams on Friday, Jan. 9. The familiar face was sophomore guard Alexis Cornejo, who transferred from Skyline to CCSF this past offseason.

The rivalry lived up to the hype, with neither team building more than a six-point lead throughout the game. CCSF hit buzzer-beaters to end the second and third quarters, while Skyline responded with strong offense in the paint and went 11-of-19 at the free-throw line.

Skyline sophomore forward Imaya Anderson said going into the game the team already had set high expectations knowing CCSF was ranked and that Cornejo was on the other side.

“We came out with very high standards for our team,” Anderson said. “We needed to basically show [Cornejo] that we know you left us in the dust, but we’re here and connected.”

While the game was competitive throughout each quarter, CCSF freshman guard Patriceia Walsh’s buzzer beater 3-pointer gave the Rams momentum going into halftime with the score at 29-28. 

Skyline sophomore guard Desiree Perez said the team meeting at halftime was not stressful as the team focused on staying confident and continuing with the game plan.

“[At halftime] we just kept telling each other it was nothing serious because that was really the only lead [CCSF] had the whole game,” Perez said.

The Trojans offense stayed consistent throughout the final two quarters to secure the victory, showcasing Skyline’s team character against CCSF and former teammate Cornejo.

Skyline sophomore guard Jahzara Pratt said that the team’s unity and focus were key factors in the win and establishing their strength.

“We played our game, we didn’t play on their level, we played on our level, we were patient with the ball, attacking the basket and going up strong so we could get our fouls,” Pratt said.

Pratt put the final stamp on the victory after her teammate Anderson secured a rebound and passed the ball to her. Pratt then pushed the ball down the court and drew a foul with less than a second remaining on the clock.

The victory gave Skyline its fourth consecutive win and improved its overall record to 12–5. The Trojans will play four unranked teams before hosting the Rams to open February.