SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – The No. 6 ranked University of Redlands Men's Basketball team (1-0) opened their 2025-26 season with a 102-88 road win over the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) overcoming an 11-point first half deficit.

The Bulldogs had an early three-point lead, 4-1, after Cam Brown (Bakersfield, CA) and Derek Sangster (Sunnyvale, CA) each finished inside the paint. Over the next four plus minutes, however, the Banana Slugs scored 18 of the next 22 points as they claimed an 11-point lead, 19-8.

Lucas Gordon (San Marcos, CA) then had three points and Jake Hlywiak (Valencia, CA) converted an and-one before Omari Ferguson (Chicago, Ill.) got to the rim to make it a four-point game, 21-17.

Following the strong response from Redlands, UCSC went on a 14-8 run reclaiming their double-digit lead, 35-25, after a three with 8:40 on the clock.

Redlands outscored UCSC 5-2 in the final two minutes thanks to a triple by Gordon and a pair of free throws by Brown, which gave the Bulldogs a five-point lead, 52-47, at the half, completing a 27-12 run.

At the 13:17 mark of the second half Hlywiak made it 67-56, Redlands' first double figure advantage, coming on a tip-in off a missed three.

The closest the Banana Slugs got the rest of the game was eight points as the Bulldogs led by double digits for the final 8:19.

Sangster began his Bulldog career with 28 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes. Hlywiak, Gordon, Brown, and Ferguson each scored in double figures too.

Redlands was outshot 62.5-47.2 from the field, but they were plus 16 in fastbreak points and points in the paint thanks to a plus 10 turnover margin and a plus 13 mark on the offensive boards.

The Bulldogs remain in Santa Cruz for a neutral site game with Pacific Lutheran University Saturday, November 8 beginning at 3:00 p.m.