Roadrunners open season with rout of Antelope Valley; go 2-1 at Mt. SAC tourney

WALNUT – The 2025-26 Rio Hondo College women's basketball season got off to a great start as the Roadrunners won two out of three games at the Mt. SAC Tip-Off Classic.

Rio Hondo officially opened the season on Friday with a big 78-42 victory over Antelope Valley College. That was followed by a 67-59 win over Merritt College on Saturday. The Roadrunners nearly closed out opening weekend unbeaten but came up just short in a close 53-50 loss to No. 19 state-ranked Victor Valley College on Sunday.

Day 1: Rio Hondo 78, Antelope Valley 42
Returning All-South Coast Conference guard Miranda Morales totaled a team-high 15 points to go along with 6 steals and 5 rebounds in the opening-day win over Antelope Valley.

Rio Hondo got off to an impressive start before cruising to the rout. With the score tied 4-4, the Roadrunners went on to outscore AVC 19-4 in the first quarter, including a 12-0 run. Rio Hondo was up 37-18 at halftime and was never threatened.

Freshmen Adreinne Bausley and Alicia Lara had solid Rio Hondo debuts. Bausley totaled 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals while Lara came off the bench to contribute 11 points, 4 steals, 3 boards, and 3 assists. Brooklyn Romero added 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Day 2: Rio Hondo 67, Merritt 59
Morales went off for 29 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Roadrunners to their second win. She also added 4 steals, 3 assists, and a pair of blocks to her big game.

Rio Hondo trailed 34-29 at halftime but outscored Merritt 20-9 in the third quarter, which proved to be the difference.

Romero was solid again with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. Toni Vizcaino chipped in with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks while Shirley Freeman 7 points and 9 boards.

Day 3: No. 19 Victor Valley 53, Rio Hondo 50
The Roadrunners came up just short in upsetting No. 19 state-ranked Victor Valley. The game was a close battle throughout as Rio Hondo trailed 29-28 at halftime and was down 46-43 heading into the fourth.

Morales' layup with 2:08 left in the game got the Roadrunners within one point at 50-49 but they would get no closer. The game turned into a free throw contest over the final minute that went in favor of VVC.

Morales closed out her impressive weekend with 17 points and 4 rebounds. Freeman broke out with her best game of the tourney, posting a double-double with 13 points and team-high 16 rebounds. And Romero totaled 8 points, 5 steals, and 4 rebounds.

Rio Hondo, now 2-1 overall, is back in action next weekend (Nov. 7-8) when the Roadrunners will host the Rio Hondo Crossover:

Friday, November 7th, 2025 
5:00PM San Diego City vs Glendale College
7:00PM College of Sequoias vs Rio Hondo College

Saturday, November 8th, 2025
3:00PM San Diego City vs Rio Hondo College
5:00PM Glendale College vs College of Sequoias