REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (5-6, 1-2 SCIAC) returned to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play Wednesday evening inside Currier Gym as they hosted Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS). They were within a point of the Athenas with 4:29 to play but CMS would outscore Redlands 7-0 the rest of the way as the Bulldogs would fall 58-50.
Redlands got off to a great start in the opening three plus minutes as they held a five-point lead, 8-3, thanks to a pair of baskets from Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) and Kayden Sanders (Nipomo, CA).
Leading 10-5 with 5:23 on the clock, the offense hit a stall as they failed to score again, while the Athena offense put up nine points on the board taking a four-point lead, 14-10, into the second quarter.
The 9-0 CMS run was extended to 16-0 in the first four minutes of the second quarter as CMS held the first double-digit lead of the game, 21-10. The Bulldogs, however, would respond with a Sanders three off a Carly Hicks (Portland, OR) assist and then Zorich made a jumper to cut the deficit to five with 4:16 left in the half.
In the final minutes of the half Redlands pulled within three and would go into the break trailing by four, 29-25, after Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside, CA) made a free throw following a defensive rebound and then drawing a foul.
CMS opened the third quarter with the first basket as they made it a six-point game, but Sanders made another three thanks to a feed from AJ Wick (Henderson, NV). From that point forward the Bulldogs would remain within one possession over the next eight minutes, which included them tying the game at 36-36 after Wick made a jumper in the paint with six minutes on the clock. That basket, though, was the last made field goal of the quarter as the U of R would see CMS take a 45-39 lead into the final period.
After a competitive third quarter, the Athenas kept a multi-possession lead until the 5:02 mark when Sanders made a third important triple to draw Redlands within three, 51-48. Zorich would add a pair of free throws to the tally as the Bulldogs made it a one-point game, 51-50, with 4:29 still to play. Those points, though, would be the last offense generated as the Maroon and Grey dropped their second SCIAC game of the season.
Sanders had her second consecutive career-high in points as she led the Bulldogs with 16 points (6-12 FG, 4-6 3FG). Zorich and Wick each added 13 points along with seven and 12 rebounds respectively.
The Bulldogs will now prepare to head to Whittier College to play the Poets at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
