FAIRFIELD -- In recent years, Napa Valley College either didn't have enough players to field a team or became a cakewalk win for the Solano College women's basketball team.

On Wednesday in the Bay Valley Conference (BVC) opener, the Storm gave the Faclons all they could handle as Solano escaped with a 59-58 win as the game came down to the final possession.

"We expected a great game. We're both evenly matched," said Solano head coach Matt Borchert. "It was a lot of fun. It was back and forth. It was great to see both teams step up and play hard, make big shots and make big plays. We knew it would be tough to go on runs. We hung there at the end."

Solano's Jaslyn Woods steals the ball from Napa Valley's Amaree Bennett during the Falcons' 59-58 win on Wednesday. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)

The Falcons' final margin of victory was a foul shot from Dominique Eaglin with 1:22 left.

Napa (4-9, 0-1) tried to hold for the final possession and the ball was knocked out of bounds with 8.4 seconds left. The Storm inbounded to Alliyah Fernandez, who got her jumper off but the shot was off the mark and Eaglin rebounded to help ice the win.

Solano (6-7, 1-0) trailed by seven points at 54-47 with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter after a three-point play from Amaree Bennett. However, a runner from Jaslyn Woods and then a three-point play from Eaglin started a 12-4 run for Solano to finish the game. A big 3-pointer from Cherika Rafan gave Solano a 57-56 lead with 2:46 left.

Rafan, a sophomore guard from Vanden, had a team-high 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting to lead the Falcons. Rafan collapsed in pain at the 4:53 mark of the fourth quarter after cramping up, but she was healthy down the stretch.

"The freshmen really wanted to win this game for the sophomores since there are only two of us," Rafan said. "For the sophomores, we really didn't want to lose at home. We want to make the playoffs since we didn't get to go our freshman year."

Eaglin, a freshman forward from Vanden, had 10 points and eight boards and played her best basketball in the fourth quarter.

"Dominique really struggled most of the game, but then she played the final 3:30 or so really well," Borchert said.

Janae Jackson added 13 points and eight boards off the bench and Jaslyn Woods added 11 points and nine boards. Zaire Brown was held to four points but pulled down 10 boards.

Napa's Mirah Jackson, a freshman from Vacaville Christian, led all scorers with 20 points. Nicole Gleeson added 12 and Bennett (American Canyon) had 10 points. Addison Alsbury had a team-high 13 boards for the Storm.

Neither team could gain much of an edge through the first three quarters. Solano led 18-17 after a quarter and Napa led 35-34 at halftime and then 47-44 after three.

The Falcons probably played their best defensive sequences in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Napa's last field goal of the game was a jumper from Jackson with 2:23 left.

"I thought our defense down the stretch was really good," Borchert said. "We tightened it up. We just did enough to pull it out. Big stop at the end there."

Borchert talked about the importance of grabbing the first win in the BVC.

"It's going to be that way; it will be just as tough at Napa," Borchert said. "Really good win. You always want to win at home to to pull that off, the opening conference game, right before Christmas, that was good."

The score

Solano 59, Napa 58

Next game: Jan. 4 at Marin: 5:30 p.m.