(Paramus, NJ) - For anybody who thought the Westchester Community College Women's Basketball team was going to allow a pair of season-opening lop-sided defeats to define their 2019-2020 campaign, the final minutes of Tuesday night's clash at Bergen Community College presented a swift and exciting newsflash: This is a young, but hungry team ... and a little adversity is not going to keep them down. Down by eight points, late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings neither panicked nor quit, but instead the banded together and rallied, notching their first win of the season with a 67-63 triumph over the host Bulldogs to improve to 1-2. 

Westchester trailed 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, but played perhaps their finest 10 minutes of the season during the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 26-16 during that stretch to take a 36-27 lead at halftime. However, Bergen battled back to outscore the Vikings 21-9 during the third quarter, and took a 48-44 lead into the final stanza.

Freshman Donjeta Prelvukaj (Bronx, NY/St. Catharine) was simply brilliant, scoring 11 of her team-high 23 points during an incredible fourth quarter stretch, and accounting for all but nine of Westchester's points over the final 10 minutes of the game. She added 12 rebounds for her third double-double in as many games, and added four assists. Also for the Vikings, fellow freshman Jailine Ruiz (Bronx, NY/William Cullen Bryant HS) scored 13 of her season-high 14 points during an incredible first half of play, and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double of her own. Sophomore Jada Tom (Elmsford, NY/Alexander Hamilton HS) turned in her finest effort of the young season, scoring 11 points, while adding four rebounds.

Westchester Community College now faces the challenge of back-to-back showdowns with NJCAA Division I programs when the Vikings head to the Monroe College Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 9 and Sunday, Nov. 10. The Vikings play ASA College on Saturday at noon, before facing the host Mustangs on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.