Sophomore Maria Lopez posted her fifth double-double of the season, collecting 15 points in 13 rebounds but Porterville College couldn't keep up with No. 7 state-ranked Merced College and suffered a 95-28 loss at home on Wednesday night in both teams' Central Valley Conference opener.
The loss dropped Porterville to 2-12 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Merced (15-3, 1-0 CVC) smothered Porterville from the start and jumped out to a 30-2 lead after the first quarter.
Lopez continues to shine for the Pirates during an otherwise tough 2017-18 season. She is currently averaging a double-double for the season with 16.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Her rebounding leads the Central Valley Conference while her scoring mark ranks second in the CVC.
Porterville will look to snap a four-game losing streak next Wednesday (Jan. 10) when the Pirates travel to West Hills College Lemoore for a 6 p.m. CVC game.
