If a team can get outscored by nine points in the final six minutes and still win by 16, it must be doing something good.

Forward Antares Vice scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Cerritos women’s basketball team as it defeated Los Angeles City College, 65-49 Wednesday at the Aviary.

“We let down a little bit on defense,” she said.

She added that the team has to work on its defense in practice so that “we can come back and win the tournament this weekend.”

The Falcons will begin play in the Orange Coast Tournament Friday at 1:30 p.m. against San Diego Mesa.

Cerritos coach Karen Welliver said, “We didn’t function as well as we should have,” but was “really pleased” with the team’s intensity and defense in the first half.

She gave credit to L.A. City for making its shots and getting the ball inside.

The Cubs (5-6) were led by forward Tanesha Bass with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

The Falcons scored the first 14 points of the game, while the Cubs missed their first seven shots.

L.A. City finally got on the board eight minutes into the game with its first basket.

Cerritos led 42-15 at the half, making 17 baskets out of 26 attempts in the first half, while the Cubs were six for 35 from the field.

The Cubs scored 10 unanswered points to cut the Cerritos lead to 52-32.

The Falcons increased their lead to 60-35 on a basket by Nicole McCarthy and two by Vice, all assisted by Marci Wong.

L.A. City then finished the game with a 14-5 run, with Bass scoring eight points during the stretch.

Falcons’ forward Chrystal Johnson, who scored four points and pulled down seven rebounds, said that the team “turned over the ball too much” in the second half.

“We got lackadaisical.”

Cerritos Guard Jennifer Decuir scored eight points, and Wong, Lisa Contreras and Tiffany Amete added six each.

Cubs’ Forward Crystal Maciel made four three-point baskets in the second half, ending up with 17 points for the game.

Johnson said that the upcoming tournament will be very competitive, and if the Falcons “play for 40 solid minutes, we’ll come out on top.”

Welliver added, “Mesa is a very good team. It wil be a good first round game for us.”

To get to Orange Coast College, take the 605 freeway south and go south on the 405 freeway.

Exit at Fairview blvd. and go south. The college will be on your right just past Adams St.

SCORING:

Cerritos–M. Wong 6 (4 steals, 9 assists), Decuir 8, Rucker 2, Contreras 6, McCarthy 4, Osongco 3, Vice 24, Johnson 4, Rivera 2, E. Wong 5, Amete 6.

L.A. City–Newell 4, M. Orellana 0, Maciel 17, Carvin 2, Bob 5, Trujillo 2, Bass 19, Pierce 0.