SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (3-1) beat Rivier University 61-52 to open the UCSC Thanksgiving Classic Friday afternoon after outscoring the Raiders by 13 over the final 6:10 of the game.  

The game was slow offensively across the opening five minutes with the Raiders holding a six-point lead, 9-3.  

Redlands was still down six with 5:08 left in the first before ending the period on an 8-2 run as the two sides were tied at 14 after 10 minutes of play. During the 8-2 run Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside, CA) and Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) each had four points covering the final 3:50.

An early Caitlyn Constantino (Riverside, CA) jumper assisted by Anderson and a score in the paint from AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) in the first minute of the second put Redlands in front for the first time and extended their run to 12-2.

Rivier responded with four in a row, but Anderson started an 8-0 run for the Maroon and Grey with a pair of free throws as the Bulldogs were ahead by their largest margin of the game, eight, 26-18. Constantino and Leaya Mckinney (Sedalia, CO) added two points apiece while Kayden Sanders (Nipomo, CA) had an assist on Mckinney's layup during the run.

Over the final three minutes of the half the Bulldogs were held scoreless but still held a slight advantage 26-22 into the break of their first non-home game of the season.

After being held scoreless for nearly three minutes to begin the third, Redlands received two baskets from Wick and a layin from Zorich to reclaim a six-point lead, 32-26, as their defense held the Raiders without a basket for more than four minutes.

Zorich knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:49 to play in the third to give Redlands their largest lead of the game at nine, 37-29, but Rivier ended the quarter on a 7-2 run as the two teams went into the final quarter separated by three, 39-36.

The Raider run was extended to 14-2 as they led by four only five minutes after trailing by nine. A 5-0 run from Anderson, though, gave the Bulldogs the one-point lead, 46-45. Carly Hicks (Portland, OR) then got to the line and made both to make it a full one-possession game, 48-45, with 4:37 remaining in the game.

Zorich would make a pair of jump shots and Wick would hit hit one along with adding a pair of assists as the nine-point lead was restored for UR, 54-45, with only 2:21 left to play.

Rivier would get within four with :23 seconds remaining, but the Bulldogs would convert five of their final six free throws to close out the win.

Anderson had a career day as she finished with a double double of 22 points and 14 rebounds, both career-highs. Wick also had a big game with another double double of 11 points and 16 rebounds, her third double-double in four games to begin her career.

Redlands will finish tthe UCSC Thanksgiving Classic with a match-up with Bethany College from West Virginia at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, November 25 in Santa Cruz.