Pirates beat Palo Verde 82-61, split opening-week games

PORTERVILLE – Sophomore Jazlynne Medrano posted a double-double, scoring a career-high 31 points to go with 10 rebounds, to help lead the Porterville College women's basketball team to an 82-61 win over visiting Palo Verde College on Friday.

The victory came two days after the Pirates opened the season with a 58-39 loss to Allan Hancock College in their 2022-23 season opener on Wednesday at home.

Medrano nearly had a triple-double against Palo Verde, as she added 6 assists and 4 steals to her impressive night.

Porterville held a narrow 15-14 lead after the opening quarter on Friday but put the game out of reach in the second thanks to 15 points by Medrano as PC went on to outscore Palo Verde 26-13 in the quarter. A 24-point outburst in the third by the Pirates gave them a commanding 65-39 lead.

Sophomore Kaija Ambriz also put up big numbers as she scored a career-high 23 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 assist, and 3 steals.

Freshman Gracie Magana chipped in with 7 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals while freshman Assyria Murrietta came off the bench to contribute 7 points and 8 rebounds. Sophomore Jenna Holder added 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Opening-night jitters likely contributed to the loss to Allan Hancock on Wednesday. PC made just 15 of 58 shots and couldn't get a rhythm going on offense.

Ambriz opened the season with a double-double, scoring 11 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Magana led the Pirates with 12 points and Medrano totaled 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Porterville, now 1-1 overall, returns to action on Tuesday (Nov. 8) when they travel to Salinas to take on Hartnell College in a 6 p.m. non-conference game.