The University of Redlands women's basketball team continued Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition by facing off against the Caltech Beavers in Pasadena on Thursday night. While providing strong defense and gritty offense, the Bulldogs handily defeated the Beavers by a score of 58-35.
After the Beavers snagged the first bucket of the contest, the Bulldogs responded with an immediate 10-0 run that stretched for nearly the entire opening period. Sophomore forward Allison Siksnus (Placentia, CA) notched two buckets during that span, while senior forward Brinsley Farry (Ventura, CA) capped off the run by drilling a jumper.
During the final two minutes of the stanza, the teams traded five points, with sophomore guard Caitlyn Dixon (Seattle, WA) scoring the final bucket off of a triple to give the Bulldogs a 15-7 lead.
With solid defense that was highlighted by a steal apiece by junior forward Sydney Bennett (Agoura Hills, CA) and sophomore guard Courtney Chen (La Canada, CA), the Bulldogs held the Beavers to just seven points in the second frame. Farry remained hot by contributing three points, while junior guard Jade Cheldelin (Portland, OR) added to the fire power with a jumper en route to a 24-14 lead at halftime.
The Maroon and Gray turned on the heat offensively in the third quarter and began to separate itself from the home team. Chen kicked off the shooting display by knocking down a jump shot, which she followed with a lay-up two possessions later.
Throughout the third quarter, the Bulldogs fought their way to the line and capitalized heavily, as Chen, Cheldelin, Dixon, and sophomore guard Angela Silver (Scotts Valley, CA) combined for five points from the charity stripe. Silver capped off the third quarter with a shot up and off the glass to solidify Redlands' commanding lead at 45-27.
The Bulldogs remained strong in the final 10 minutes of action, as they continued to nail shots and display impressive defense. Cheldelin notched four of the first six points in the opening five minutes of the final quarter. Sophomore guard Brooke Hulett (Poway, CA) and junior guard Selena Iriarte (Wilmington, CA) joined the scoring frenzy by combining for four points en route to the Maroon and Gray's 58-35 victory.
Siksnus lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 points to go along with eight rebounds and two assists. Cheldelin backed Siksnus with 11 points.
Chen had a solid night on both sides of the hardwood by pocketing four steals and dropping seven points. Dixon was effective off the bench by contributing seven points and four assists, while Silver notched five points and two rebounds.
Overall, Redlands shot 45.5% from the floor, as compared to Caltech's 29.5% showing. The Bulldogs had twice as many assists and forced the Beavers into twice as many turnovers.
Redlands (5-6, 2-0 SCIAC) continues SCIAC competition on Saturday, January 9, when it travels to Pomona-Pitzer Colleges to face off against the Sagehens at 4 p.m.