The Santa Monica College Corsairs' women's basketball defeated the Antelope Valley College Marauders, 65-52 on Wednesday night.

The game was an intense face off as the game hung in the balance until the final buzzer.

Poor three point shooting from the Corsairs kept the Marauders in the game in the first half as but strong defensive work held AVC in check.

"It wasn't our prettiest game, but bottom line is we won," said SMC head coach Lydia Strong.

Sophomore point guard Aniese Palmore again led the way for the Corsairs, finishing with 20 points on a 12-21 shooting performance with seven rebounds. Beside her stood freshman guard Oshaela Grey who contributed 19 points and five steals.

By the end of the game it was obvious that while Antelope Valley's crop of talent could be relentless, SMC had the needed combination of grit and coordination to keep the score in their favor.

"We're in first place, we've got to fight every night," Strong said. Strong also emphasized how Antelope Valley featured a gritty style of playing but made it clear that SMC was ready for the challenge.

The priority now for the team to win its third consecutive game and defend its first place spot in the Western State Conference South Division.

The Corsairs moved to 4-1 in WSC play and 13-6 overall. The Marauders fell to 2-3 in conference play and 9-10 overall.

Next on the schedule for the Lady Corsairs are the Los Angeles Valley College