In its final game of the season, the DVC women’s basketball team won 62-65 against Sacramento City College on Feb. 20.

The team ranked seventh in the Big 8 conference with a 3-11 record and sixth overall with 12-18. Last season, it finished with a 4-10 conference record and an 11-20 overall.

As of Feb. 27, team members Ashley Hudson and Vernessa Roberts were ranked third and ninth respectively in the top 10 of the Big 8 for average points per game. Hudson scored an average of 14.7 points per game with a total of 441 points, while Roberts scored an average of 12.7 points per game with a total of 367 points.

Prior to the game against Sacramento City College, the team had lost 10 of the last 11 games, its only win against last-ranked American River.

In a previous game against Sacramento City, the Vikings lost 64-59.

Head coach Maureen Mattson said she recognized how the team had improved.

“We really grew as a team and individually throughout the season,” she said. “We had some close losses… I think that showed and helped us out at the end of the season.”

This time around, DVC took an early 2-4 lead, but lost it soon after and spent much of the first half keeping the score close.

The shift came when only 2:59 remained on the clock. DVC guard Monica Pastor scored two free throws, putting DVC ahead 20-22.

Three minutes later, the first half ended with a tie score of 25-25.

The second half began with Sacramento City taking an early lead, only to have it taken away by DVC. This was followed by several minutes of lead changes, until Roberts scored.

DVC continued to hold the lead throughout the rest of the second half, with Roberts scoring 19 points; Hudson, 16; and Pastor, 14.

DVC had an average six points on Sacramento City, until the last 54.4 seconds, when Sacramento City put the score at 60-61; leaving DVC with only a one-point lead.

The team struggled to maintain dominance, with Hudson upping the score to 60-63, only to be quickly followed  by Sacramento City replying with its own two-pointer to keep the difference at 62-63.

DVC had a chance to widen the lead with a free throw when Claire Jacober was fouled, but the team had no such luck, and the game continued with the one-point difference.

However, in the last seconds of the game, another foul on Jacober, and one on Vanessa Johnson allowed for a three-point lead and a 62-65 victory.

Coach Mattson was pleased with the team’s performance, especially in the later part of the game.

“That was pretty tough there at the end,” she said. “When you’ve been up by 10, [and] you’ve lost all your momentum and now you’re only up by one … you can lose your confidence”

Hudson said, “[The game] meant more to us than any other game.”

“It’s probably the hardest we played all season,” agreed Roberts, “[though it] got a little tight there at the end”

Looking ahead to next year, Coach Mattson said the team is composed of young athletes.

“We have a really solid group of returners” Coach Mattson said, “Depending on who we have coming in for recruits, that will really make the difference”

The four players who will not return because they are sophomores are Pastor, Jacober, Roberts and Megan Souza.