Cerritos College battled for 40 minutes but couldn't overcome a strong defensive effort from Los Angeles Southwest, falling 56–49 on Thursday night at Cerritos College.

The Falcons were led by Lauryn Nakamura, who poured in a game-high 21 points while adding five rebounds and five assists in a complete performance. Nakamura was aggressive throughout the night, getting to the free-throw line 10 times and converting seven.

Cerritos stayed within striking distance despite shooting 35.3 percent from the field, but turnovers and missed opportunities at the free-throw line proved costly. The Falcons committed 24 turnovers, which LA Southwest turned into key points during momentum-shifting stretches.

Justine Lucero finished with 11 points and three steals, while Emily Gonzalez controlled the glass with 11 rebounds to go along with seven points. Cerritos was out-rebounded 44–31 overall, including a 22–10 disadvantage on the offensive boards.

The Falcons cut the deficit late in the fourth quarter behind back-to-back scores from Nakamura, but Southwest answered with timely free throws to seal the win.

Cerritos will look to bounce back in its next outing as conference play continues.