The University of Redlands women's basketball team headed north to UC Santa Cruz for its first two road-games of the season by competing in the Hampton Inn Classic.  During Friday's competition, the Bulldogs faced in-region foe, Whitman College (WA),  but suffered a tough 61-66 loss to the Missionaries.

After facing a 10-point deficit midway through the first half, Redlands clawed its way back into the game with patience and tenacity.  The Bulldogs closed out the stanza with a 21-7 run to take a four-point lead at the break. During this stint, senior guard Colleen Goeser (San Carlos, CA) knocked in seven of her team-leading 21 points on the day.  In addition, senior forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) and junior guard Kameran Dage (Walnut, CA) chipped in six first-half points apiece.

Leading 32-28, the Maroon and Gray came out firing in the second stanza, extending its lead to six points with a Dage bucket. 

However, the Missionaries rallied to tie it up with 14:51 remaining in the game.  From here the teams traded punches en route to knotting the score at 41, 43, 45, 47, and again at 49.

But then Whitman's Heather Johns scored five points in a matter of 60 seconds, forcing the momentum back to her team.

A foul-plagued final eight minutes went in favor of the Missionaries, giving them twice as many converted free-throws by the end of the second half, which proved to be the difference.

Besides Goeser's 21-point effort, which came on a 7-for-11 performance, the Bulldogs gained 11 points and three rebounds from Dage, as well as nine points, six rebounds, and four assists from Oster.  Senior forward Madison Sanders-Curry (San Jose, CA) provided a team-high seven boards.

Redlands takes on another Northwest Conference foe in Whitworth University (WA) during Saturday's game.  Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. in the West Field House on the campus of UC Santa Cruz.