Big performances by sophomore guard Claire Stach (Portland, OR) and junior forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) led the University of Redlands women's basketball team to a comfortable conference win over Pomona-Pitzer Colleges by a score of 61-41 on Saturday night. The victory keeps the Bulldogs in fourth place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) as they battle through the second half of the schedule with little room for error.
The beginning of the contest saw Redlands take an early 4-0 lead after junior guard Colleen Goeser (San Carlos, CA) sank two free throws and Oster nailed a jumper. The Sagehens battled back and took a 9-8 advantage, but after Stach hit a jump shot with 11:34 remaining in the first half, the Bulldogs never trailed again in the contest.
Pomona-Pitzer kept it close for a while and even cut the Bulldog lead to one point with 4:06 remaining in the first stanza, but the Maroon and Gray closed out the half on a 8-1 run to take a 25-17 lead into the halftime break.
Redlands was active defensively during the first 20 minutes, forcing the Sagehens into eight turnovers while also blocking five Pomona-Pitzer shots. The stifling defense also held the Sagehens to just 18.9% shooting from the field on only seven made baskets.
Despite experiencing a quiet first half, senior guard Ashley Sevilla (San Diego, CA) came out on fire in the second stanza, sinking three-consecutive, long-range efforts after being subbed into the game. Those nine-straight points from Sevilla contributed to a 17-7 run, which opened the second half for the Maroon and Gray. By the 12:52-mark, Redlands owned a comfortable 43-24 advantage.
A few baskets from the Sagehens cut into the deficit, but Stach converted a layup and Sevilla drained another three-pointer to push the Bulldog lead back to 18.
The U of R maintained control throughout the remainder of the second half. After Stach and freshman forward Ashton Beth (Windsor, CA) combined for a quick five-point offensive spurt with less than four minutes to go, the Redlands lead was 22 points, making a comeback more than out of reach for Pomona-Pitzer.
The Bulldogs' phenomenal defensive efforts resulted in a 22.5% shooting effort for Pomona-Pitzer, while the Bulldogs recorded a 37.3% shooting mark on the evening. Redlands was also the aggressor, gaining 16 free-throws and converting 12. The U of R also held the slight edge in rebounding, 52-50, while tallying a solid 17 assists, six steals and eight blocks on the night.
Stach ended up with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Oster provided 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Additionally, Oster grabbed eight boards, dished out one assist and notched two steals. Off the bench, Sevilla finished the game with 12 points, all coming from downtown.
The Maroon and Gray (13-5, 6-3 SCIAC) returns to the friendly confines of Currier Gym on Thursday when it faces off against the high-octane offense from the University of La Verne. The Leopards head into the SCIAC showdown averaging 92.9 points per game, almost 20 points more than any other team in the conference. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.