The Hornets (2-0) faced off against the San Bernadino Valley Wolverines (0-1) Thursday night in the first round of the O’fallon and Singui Classic beating the Wolverines 81-65.

Hosted at the Santa Monica College Gymnasium, the neutral court gave the Hornets the opportunity to get comfortable and succeed. Which they did.

“It was evident that we have a lot of players that help bring something to the team. The ten guys that played tonight all gave a contribution to help us win the game,” said head coach Perry Webster. “There’s a lot to work on, but we’ll take the win early in the season against a great quality opponent.”

Shooting 52.2% from the field, the Hornets worked fervently for their victory. The Hornets also shot 85.7% from the foul line, or 24-28 free throws attempted.

The Hornets started fast from the opening tip-off, darting through the Wolverines’ defense to score a layup. The Wolverines, however, responded by routinely getting into the paint and scoring.

Both teams fought hard but the Hornets went 9-23 on three-pointers and were able to outrebound the Wolverines 32-29 giving them the edge.

The Hornets got into some foul trouble in the second half but were able to make substitutions and the team was able to stave off the Wolverines surge.

“We keep focusing on getting better every day. Staying together and focusing on getting better. We’ll see what happens as the season goes on, but we have a chance to be a really good team,” stated Webster.

With only 13 assists and 16 turnovers, there is room for improvement but with the start of the season, there is always room to get better.

The Hornets showed great poise in the final minutes of the game. Playing great team defense as the Wolverines made a final push. In the end, the Hornets’ offense was too much and ultimately won them the game.

“It’s early and a lot can happen between now and when winning really matters, but we’re at where we are at and we gotta get back to work,” says Webster. With the second win of the season, the team is optimistic for their success going forward.

Up next The Hornets (3-0) take on Cerro Coso (2-0) Wednesday, November 17 at Fullerton College at 5 p.m.