Lakeside – the Sunbelt League leader in girls basketball – brought their 6-0 record and 11-game win streak into the Lady Panthers’ gym in Perris on Thursday, Jan. 31, and were decisively up-ended 73-38. Perris was 5-2 coming into the contest and had lost previously to the Lancers, 73-65.

It was senior night in Perris as Kathryn Thomas, Ikeya Adams, Iman Lathan, Desirae Bagby, and Christina Grant led their team onto the floor.

Despite a 21-point, 7-rebound performance by Lakeside guard Kianna Williams, the Lady Lancers were unable to overcome a dismal shooting night (20.5 percent from the floor, 16/78) including 18 missed three-point attempts. Williams hit five-of-six two-pointers in the first half, accounting for 13 of her team’s 22 points; she finished 8-of-13 from inside the arc and five-for-five from the free throw line.

"We have everything we need to win this game," predicted Perris’ guard Lathan. "We just need to do what we do."

Lathan scored nine points in the second quarter to lead a 22-11 run by Perris and end the half ahead 34-22. Lathan ended with 27 points (12 field goals and 3-of-9 from the charity stripe). Teammate Desirae "Too Smooth" Bagby ended the night with 16 points on 6-of-18; her three consecutive baskets in the third quarter contributed to Perris 15-9 score.

"This was a huge win," said Perris coach Marv Williams. Perris – a perennial Sunbelt League powerhouse – had won the league title five of the last six years and 18 times in Williams’ 23 years there.

"Our two early season losses were actually very encouraging: when we played at Heritage, our big girl was hurt, and Desirae did not play in the fourth quarter; against Lakeside, our big girl was still hurt and our leading scorer (Lathan) didn’t play at all and we only lost by eight. We knew if we put it all together, we would be okay. I figured out how to play against this fine team."

"We made a lot of mistakes and it got out of control early," said Lakeside Coach Anthony Williams. "It’s like the ‘Mike Tyson effect:’ everyone has a plan until you get hit by him. They hit us hard in the second quarter, we lost confidence in what we were doing and then the snowball effect – we were like 2-for-20 from the three-point line…We’ve had a lot of success of late and this could be a blessing in disguise for us."

"We were just hungry," said Lathan after the game. "Our ultimate goal is to get Coach Williams a (CF) ring!"

Perris is away at Temescal Canyon (0-8) on Feb.7. Lakeside travels to #3 Paloma Valley (5-3) on Feb. 7.

"The title is theirs (Lakeside) to lose," says Marv Williams.

JV action: Coach Alana Thomas’ Perris junior varsity team was down by 11 points at halftime (28-17) and made a 29-point turnaround to win 56-38 against the Lakeside JV squad. When asked what she said at halftime, Coach Thomas smiled and said, "Not in these words, but I told the girls they were playing far below their potential and that this is the breeding ground to get to the next level. Games like this show what we are made of."

Lakeside’s Samantha Stirratt and Perris’ Jessica Stone received the game’s Sportsmanship Award.