REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (5-5) bounced back from a three-point loss against MSOE with a 95-36 blowout win over Bethesda University Saturday evening inside Currier Gym.
The opening two baskets came from Krista Karban (Murrieta, CA) and Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) with Zorich and Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside, CA) grabbing assists. The Bulldogs' lead was two early, 8-6, but they would take their first double-digit lead, 21-10, with 2:29 to play. Nataly Bravo (Spring Valley, CA) and Zorich scored the final four points for Redlands as they took a 27-14 lead into the second.
Taylor Whaley (Olympia, WA) and Carly Hicks (Portland, OR) scored back-to-back baskets to extend the lead to 16, 33-17, in the first minute and a half of the second quarter.
After grabbing a defensive rebound, Kayden Sanders (Nipomo, CA) brought the ball up the court and would draw a foul. Sanders would make both of her attempts at the line as the lead grew to 20, 39-19, for the first time in the contest. The free throws started a run of nine straight as Leaya Mckinney (Sedalia, CO) scored four points and Sanders adding a three to make it 46-19.
The offense had been great with 51 points in the first 17 plus minutes, but the defense had held the Flames to 23 points at the half and led, 51-23.
In the second half the Flames started the half with a three-point field goal, but it would be followed by Karban, Avery Shiring (Yorba Linda, CA), and Jenna Schmitt (Bellevue, WA) all scoring to make it a 31-point margin for UR, 57-26.
To end the third quarter the Bulldogs led by 47, 77-30, as they held the Flames to just seven points, their second-straight quarter allowing less than double digits.
In the first two minutes of the fourth quarter Bethesda scored three points before the Bulldogs would go on to hold them to just another three points over the final 8:15. Bravo led the way offensively the rest of the way with seven points and a pair of assists, while Mckinney chipped in four points with six rebounds.
Whaley led all players with a career-high 13 rebounds as she added four assists and eight points, both career bests. Sanders' 14 points (5-5 FG, 2-2 3FG), Karban's 12 points (6-13 FG) and seven rebounds, Bravo's 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, and three assists, Mckinney's nine rebounds, and Schmitt's seven points and nine rebounds were all career-highs.
The Bulldogs will now return to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play as they host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) on Wednesday, January 3 at 7:00 p.m. inside Currier Gym.
