With sophomore guard Claire Stach (Portland, OR) and junior guard Marika Staton (El Centro, CA) leading the charge, the University of Redlands women's basketball team resumed Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition with a 67-56 victory over the visiting Poets of Whittier College on Saturday in Currier Gym. The dynamic duo accounted for 42 of the Bulldogs' points, with Stach firing off an impressive 11-for-14 effort and Staton going 10-for-12 from the charity stripe.
After the teams traded early baskets, the Maroon and Gray slowly pulled away in the first half by converting a number of free-throws that resulted from aggressive drives and subsequent Poet fouls. By the 8:51-mark, Redlands held a 19-9 advantage.
However, the Poets came storming back with an 8-0 run to pull within two points less than three minutes later. Whittier's senior forward Alex Coon (Wasilla, AK) provided a pair of buckets during this rally.
With the Poets knocking, Redlands responded by remaining steady at the charity stripe to create an eight-point lead with 2:37 remaining in the half. Staton, Stach, and junior forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) each hit two of more shots from the line, keeping the opponents at bay.
The Bulldogs finished out the stanza on another run, with freshman forward Brinsley Farry (Ventura, CA) and junior forward Madison Sanders-Curry (San Jose, CA) making offensive contributions en route to their team's 40-28 halftime advantage.
The Maroon and Gray opened the second frame with a 12-3 outburst to garner its largest margin at 54-31 with 15:39 remaining in the game.
The Bulldogs utilized 14 players throughout the second half, highlighted by freshman guard Brittney Zec's (Broomfield, CO) first appearance in a Maroon and Gray uniform.
Whittier managed to cut the lead to its final 11-point tally when junior guard Maria Montero (Hemet, CA) sank a jump shot with six seconds left on the clock.
Overall, Redlands converted its chances at the free-throw line, finishing the game with a 29-for-36 showing, which provided an answer to its less-than-stellar shooting night of 29%.
In addition to Stach's career-high of 24 points, Staton provided 18 points, 10 of which came at the charity stripe. Staton also pulled in a team-high eight rebounds.
Oster chipped in nine points, six rebounds and three steals.
Whittier (4-10, 1-4 SCIAC) shot 36.5%, with Coon providing a team-high of 16 points to go along with six rebounds. Junior guard Danielle Quinones (Marin County, CA) backed her with 11 points.
Redlands edged the Poets in the rebounding battle with a 42-39 margin, which included a 16-to-9 difference on the offensive boards.
The Bulldogs (9-3, 3-1 SCIAC) head to the University of La Verne on Thursday for an important conference bout with the Leopards, who sit atop the SCIAC standings at 4-0. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
