On a Thursday night of celebration, the University of Redlands women's basketball team captured a convincing 80-47 victory over Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Currier Gym. Bulldog senior forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) brought the crowd to its feet when she scored her 1000th-career point as a Bulldog with 17:33 to go in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) contest.
Redlands began the game hot, shooting the ball extremely well throughout the entire first half. Senior guard Colleen Goeser (San Carlos, CA) capped off a 16-4 run to begin the contest for the Bulldogs by nailing a three-pointer and converting a nifty layup on back-to-back possessions.
The Sagehens eventually cut the deficit to just nine points, but after sophomore forward Brinsley Farry (Ventura, CA) knocked down a pair of jumpers and Oster and Packard made shots of their own, the U of R advantage was back up to 15 points.
The Bulldogs continued to shoot effectively, and junior guards Kameran Dage (Walnut Creek, CA) and Caitlin Ciardella (South San Francisco, CA) nailed late long-range efforts to put the Maroon and Gray up by 18 points with 1:46 left in the half. Goeser finished Redlands' large offensive output in the first stanza with a strong take to the hoop and finish with the right hand while being fouled. She converted the and-one opportunity.
During the first 20 minutes, Redlands shot 55.2% from the field while holding the Sagehens to just a 26.3% shooting effort. The Bulldogs also went 5-of-10 from downtown during the first stanza, resulting in the 43-24 lead at the break.
The momentum rolled over and continued during the second half for the Bulldogs as junior guard Kaity Lykins (Simi Valley, CA) made her first shot of the half and Goeser followed it up with a jumper of her own.
With six points at the halftime break, Oster knew she needed just one more basket to join the exclusive 1000-point club, and on her first attempt of the second period, Oster made it happen by converting a layup opportunity to put Redlands up 49-26.
The next time down the floor for the Bulldogs, Dage nailed a shot from distance, forcing Pomona-Pitzer to call a timeout
With the momentum and the game clearly in hand, the Bulldogs cruised from that point on, dominating in every aspect. Late in the contest, freshman guard Jordyn Carroll (Menifee, CA) nailed a pair of jumpers to finish off the impressive offensive team performance for the U of R.
As a team, the Bulldogs shot 50.0% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc. Defensively, Redlands held the Sagehens (6-11, 4-6 SCIAC) to just a 26.3% shooting effort overall, while also not allowing one three-pointer for Pomona-Pitzer. On the glass, the U of R held the significant advantage, 52-31, while the Maroon and Gray also dished out 20 assists, compared to just two for the Sagehens.
After the game, Oster talked about the win and about joining the 1000-point club.
Oster finished the night with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Goeser tallied a game-high 17 points on a 7-for-8 shooting effort from the field. Dage also chipped in 14 points and a team-best four assists. Senior forward Madison Sanders-Curry (San Jose, CA) was dominant on the low block for Redlands, nabbing 10 rebounds, racking up three blocks, and adding five points.
Redlands (15-4, 8-2 SCIAC) takes to the road on Saturday evening when it faces off against Chapman University (14-5, 8-2 SCIAC) in a battle for the top spot in the conference standings. Tipoff in Orange is scheduled for 7 p.m.
