LA VERNE, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (8-9, 4-5 SCIAC) fell by 12, 74-62, at the University of La Verne Saturday afternoon as they were unable to stop the Leopards from behind the arc, allowing ten three-pointers, which tied for the most allowed in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game.
AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) and Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside, CA) helped the Bulldogs get out to a 4-0 lead in the first two minutes. The Leopards were able to get into the contes soon after taking an 8-6 lead with 6:26 on the clock. But a Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) jumper would tie the game at eight before Wick made it 10-8.
Anderson found Zorich for another bucket to make it 12-9 with 4:21 left in the quarter but La Verne would end the first on an 11-2 run as they took a six-point lead into the second period.
Beginning the quarter scoring was Leaya Mckinney (Sedalia, CO) who has been instrumental in the Bulldogs success in the last two games as she made it a two-point game after converting on a pair of baskets.
Down to the 6:15 mark the Bulldogs still trailed by two, 24-22, as all eight of Redlands' points had come from Mckinney as the defense continued to look for answers against the Leopards' offense.
La Verne's offense continued to move along as they hit a three with only 1:26 left in the half, putting Redlands behind by their largest margin of the game at 14, 41-27. The Maroon and Grey, however, got a pair of threes from Kayden Sanders (Nipomo, CA) and a Wick basket off a Sanders assist to cut the deficit to six, 41-35, at the half.
Zorich got the Bulldogs within three after holding the Leopards scoreless for nearly three minutes. The 11-0 run was snapped by La Verne as they scored seven unanswered points to make it a double-digit game again, 48-38.
The Bulldogs would fall behind by as many as 12 with less than three minutes to play but Zorich and Sanders each scored to end the quarter with the final four points as they remained within striking distance, 58-50, going into the final ten minutes.
La Verne made a jump shot in the first :33 seconds of the final period and went up by double digits again and never led by any fewer than that as they earned the win, the third in their last four meetings against Redlands following the Bulldogs winning 14 of the last 15 match-ups.
Wick finished with 15 points (7-14 FG) and was one of only three Bulldogs that shot over 50 percent from the field joining Zorich who had 13 points (4-7 FG, 5-6 FT) and Mckinney with eight points (4-5 FG).
Redlands will get a week of rest and prep as they host Whittier College, who are receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top-25 poll, next Saturday, January 27 beginning at 7:00 p.m.
