Cuesta Women's Basketball opened its first Hinson's Tire Pros Tournament by joining local rival Allan Hancock as they both endured a first-round loss.  The rival Bulldogs dropped the tournament opener to San Jose Mission, 63-57, before the Cougars lost to Skyline, 57-49.  In the evenings showcase game between the host Cougars and visiting Trojans, Cuesta took the early lead, 12-11, in the first quarter, but went into a lull on either side of halftime.  The Women of Troy took a six-point lead into the break and boasted a ten-point lead heading into the final period.  Cuesta returned to form down the stretch and scored a game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, but still fell to the Trojans, 57-49.  Freshman Point Guard Alyssa Gonzalez led the Cougars with 14 points in the game, while Sophomore Forward Fiona Durham added a dozen points and eight rebounds. The setback dropped the Cougars back to .500 on the season at 4-4 overall. 

Tomorrow, on day two of the Hinson's Tire Pros Tournament, the Cougars and Bulldogs shall swap opponents with Allan Hancock opening the day against Skyline (1 PM) and the Cougars facing San Jose Mission (3 PM) in the finale.