LAS VEGAS – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (6-5) blew out SUNY Canton 79-56 in their first game at the D3hoops.com Classic on Saturday afternoon inside South Point Arena.
It was all Bulldogs in the first quarter as they led by 15, 20-5, after 10 minutes. AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) had eight points and Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) added four to aid the fast start.
It was a more competitive second quarter as the Kangaroos extended their run from the end of the first quarter to 7-2 getting within 11, 22-11, after trailing by 16.
Zorich and Sophie Christopher (Broomfield, CO) then made back-to-back baskets making it a 15-point game at the 6:44 mark. Zorich's two points were two of eight in the quarter as she scored twice at the line in the final minute and Redlands went into the half up 17, 38-21.
In the third quarter Zorich continued her big afternoon as she grabbed an offensive rebound and scored inside with 1:14 on the clock to cap a 16-4 run that included a total of 14 Zorich points and a pair of assists for Leila Hosn (Seattle, WA) and Carly Hicks (Portland, OR).
Despite leading by 25, the lead was cut to 12 less than four minutes later by SUNY Canton. Redlands, though, locked back in defensively, holding the Roos to only eight points across the final seven plus minutes.
On the other end the Bulldogs would score 19 points thanks to four points from Krista Karban (Murrieta, CA) and the first points for Libby Oxciano (Santa Clarita, CA), Jenna Schmitt (Bellevue, WA), Audrey Meek (Beaverton, OR), and MaeLana Clark (Garden Grove, CA). They were the first points of the season for Karban, and first career points for Oxciano and Clark.
Zorich finished with a career-high 30 points and added eight rebounds and three assists. Wick had 15 points with a career-high 18 rebounds. Her 18 rebounds are tied for the ninth most in single-game program history.
Hicks scored only four points but had career-highs of 11 rebounds and seven assists. Hosn also had seven assists.
The Bulldogs will have Sunday off before ending the competition against Saint Vincent College on Monday at 12:00 p.m. (noon).
