Keeping Home-Court Advantage

Lucas Weiss | Staff Writer

Santa Monica College Corsairs JaiYahne Henderson, KJ Hudson, Hannah Kaufman, and Nicole Mansouri (left to right) during the match against San Diego Mesa College Olympians at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs JaiYahne Henderson, Chloe Sooferan, and KJ Hudson (left to right) behind San Diego Mesa College Olympians Kendal Alloway during the match against each other at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Guard JaiYahne Henderson (front) and San Diego Mesa College Olympians Shooting Guard Mia Hays (behind) during the match against each other at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Guard Jackie Huang during a free throw at the match against San Diego Mesa College Olympians at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Guard Jackie Huang performing a free throw during the match against San Diego Mesa College Olympians at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Forward KJ Hudson (right) and San Diego Mesa College Olympians Shooting Guard Kayla Sabri (left) during the match against each other at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Guard Jackie Huang during the match against San Diego Mesa College Olympians at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Guard Maya Stokes (right) layups as San Diego Mesa College Olympians Guard Kayla Sabri (left) attempts to block during the match against each other at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. Maya scores The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Forward Nicole Mansouri (left) and San Diego Mesa College Olympians Guard Mia Hays (right) during the match against each other at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Head Coach Lydia Strong during a timeout at the match against San Diego Mesa College Olympians at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Forward Hannah Kaufman during the match against San Diego Mesa College Olympians at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Guard Maya Stokes (left) and San Diego Mesa College Olympians Guard Alivia Gillespie (right) during the match against each other at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2023. The Corsairs won 47-43. (Danniel Sumarkho | The Corsair)

Women's basketball beat San Diego Mesa in a game that went down to the wire.

On Nov. 9, the SMC women’s basketball team played their first home game of the season against San Diego Mesa, narrowly winning 47-43.

Both teams came out strong early, and at the end of the first, SMC was down one, 14-13. However, the Corsairs came out slow in the second, scoring only four points and ending the quarter down 25-17.

The Corsairs rallied in the second half however, due in part to a big push by Maya Stokes, who scored 8 of her 12 points in the third, along with a handful of rebounds, assists and steals.

The fourth quarter started with SMC down five, 34-29. Kj Hudson, who tied with Stokes as the game’s leading scorer, got the first bucket of the quarter, a mid range jump shot. From there, multiple Corsairs contributed, with a total of five scoring in the quarter.

Down one at 38-37 with three minutes left in the game, it was Hudson who hit the go ahead jumpshot to put the Corsairs up one. Shortly after, Stokes hit a freethrow to put them up two, but San Diego came right back with a layup to tie the game. The very next play, Jackie Huang of the Corsairs scored a bucket to put SMC up two with a little over a minute left, and SMC held on to the lead for the win.