REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (2-4, 0-1 SCIAC) put together a strong effort Saturday night nearly pulling off an upset of RV Trinity University (TX) leading by 11 in the third quarter before falling 58-52.
Neither team was able to score for nearly three minutes before the Tigers made two free throws and Leila Hosn (Seattle, WA) found AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) that tied the game.
With less than a minute to play in the first, the U of R found themselves down five, but Wick then found Kayden Sanders (Nipomo, CA) for a three that cut the deficit to two, 17-15, at the end of the quarter.
The Bulldogs started the second with the first seven points with Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) scoring four of them.
Trinity responded with a jumper at the 6:29 mark, but Redlands held them scoreless for the next four minutes. Unfortunately for the Maroon and Grey they were unable to take advantage of their great defense as Hosn's jumper was the lone basket during that stretch.
In the final two minutes the Tigers pulled within one before Andrea Perkins (Seal Beach, CA) knocked down a three, followed by a Taylor Whaley (Olympia, WA) made a floater in the paint, and an Alex Facelo (San Jose, CA) made a three on a fastbreak helping give UR a 32-25 lead into the break.
Facelo and Zorich kept the momentum going out of the half each making shots in the first minute of the third before Wick converted a three-point play following a Zorich steal as Redlands held their largest lead of the game at 11, 40-29.
Over the next six minutes the Tigers fought back to get within two, 44-42, thanks to a three. Wick, however made it a two-possession game at the end of the quarter as she made a buzzer-beating three from just inside half-court.
The Trinity run continued in the first five minutes of the fourth as they went from down five to up two. They then took their first multiple possession lead with 3:19 to play and this advantage would hold the final 4:38.
Wick posted another double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds. It's her fifth game of 16 or more rebounds, the second most in program history, trailing Hannah Jerrier's eight such games. Zorich finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Redlands will head on the road for the first time this season as they play two games in Oregon, starting with Willamette University on Friday, November 29 followed by Linfield University on Saturday, November 30.
