REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (17-6, 10-5 SCIAC) forced overtime with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Wednesday evening thanks to a late three-pointer by Teagan McIlroy (Phoenix, AZ) and free throws by Colbi Zorich (Woodinville, WA). But down the stretch the Bulldogs would eventually fall in the extra period, 76-71.
It was a competitive, low scoring first quarter with the two sides separated by one, 10-9, with 1:35 remaining in the quarter. Olivia McIntyre (Spokane, WA) then scored four points and AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) converted at the line to give the Bulldogs a six-point advantage after 10 minutes, 15-9.
In the second the Athenas made a couple of baskets before McIlroy found Carly Hicks (Portland, OR) for a wing three that pushed the U of R lead to seven.
CMS cut the lead to three with 1:52 to go in the opening half, but Leila Hosn (Seattle, WA), McIlroy, and McIntyre combined for a late 6-2 burst that gave Redlands seven points of breathing room at the break.
After the Athenas turned it over in the first :13 seconds of the third, Zorich found Wick inside the paint for a jumper giving the Maroon and Grey their largest lead of the game, 33-24.
Despite the momentum on the Bulldogs side, the Athenas responded with 15 of the next 16 points going in front and taking their largest lead of the game at five, 39-34, which they maintained through the end of the third.
Facing a seven-point hole with 8:01 on the clock in the fourth, Hosn kicked the ball out to the perimeter where McIntyre nailed a triple. McIntyre then got into the paint and Hosn found Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside, CA) that cut the deficit to two, 47-45, with 5:55 to play.
CMS led by five, 52-47, at the 4:40 mark before Wick went on a personal 5-0 run that tied the game with three minutes still to play.
Following a pair of made free throws by the Athenas, Hosn swung a pass to the left baseline three-point line where McIlroy was open, and she took advantage of the space draining it and tying the game at 56-56 with :38 ticks left.
Zorich then got a defensive rebound on the following possession to give Redlands the ball with less than :10 seconds remaining and the game tied. She was then fouled after the rebound and would get called for a flagrant, which gave each team a pair of free throws.
The Bulldogs took theirs first and Zorich made both, but so did CMS. Due to the flagrant foul, the Athenas got the final chance and on a drive they got stripped as time expired.
Less than a minute into the overtime period McIlroy gave Redlands a 62-61 lead but after a pair of free throws by CMS, they went back in front and never relinquished as the Bulldogs dropped the season series with the Athenas.
The Bulldogs shot 32.4 percent from the field and turned the ball over 19 times. Wick finished with a double double of 17 points and 15 rebounds. McIntyre had 14 points off the bench on a productive 8-of-15 shooting.
Redlands ends the regular season this Saturday, February 21 with senior day prior to their 7:00 p.m. game against Whittier College.
