LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (17-5, 10-4 SCIAC) edged Occidental College 67-60 Saturday, thanks to a big first quarter where they outscored the Tigers by nine.
The first eight points of the game went the way of the Bulldogs as AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) scored four with Leila Hosn (Seattle, WA) and Colbi Zorich (Woodinville, WA) each adding two each.
Occidental cut the lead down to six, but Hosn found Andrea Perkins (Seal Beach, CA) from behind the arc and Wick assisted Zorich for an 11-point U of R lead with 3:33 to play.
Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside, CA) and Olivia McIntyre (Spokane, WA) combined for five quick points in the first minute and a half of the second quarter to give the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game at 12, 20-8.
The lead would grow to as many as 13 and they held a double-digit lead as late as the 2:20 mark. The Tigers, though, put together a 5-0 run that made it a five-point deficit before Hosn made four free throws to push it back to nine. A pair of Occidental free throws made it a 33-26 game at the half.
The 2-0 Tiger run to end the half turned into a 7-0 run as the lead dropped to two, 33-31, a minute and a half into the third quarter. Oxy then tied the game at 37-37 with 5:40 to play.
Hosn, Zorich, and Wick responded with eight straight that put the Bulldogs back ahead by three possessions only two and a half minutes later.
Over the final 2:45 the Tigers cut the lead back to one possession before Wick and Hosn each scored in the paint for a 49-42 lead after 30 minutes of action.
Redlands closed the third quarter strong but allowed Occidental to score the first eight points of the fourth giving up the lead for the first time all game with 7:35 left.
From the 5:40 mark to the 4:50 mark Zorich then had four points and Wick with another two as Redlands seized a quick six-point advantage. The Tigers quickly cut that down to one, 61-60, less than three minutes later before a 6-of-8 mark at the line sealed the win for the Maroon and Grey.
Wick and Zorich each had 18 points with 20 total rebounds. Hosn had 10 points and seven rebounds and Teagan McIlroy (Phoenix, AZ) chipped in seven points and seven rebounds.
Redlands will finish off the regular season at home beginning with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps this Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. with playoff implications on the line and potentially the SCIAC Regular Season Championship Title.
