The University of Redlands women's basketball team traveled to Pomona-Pitzer Colleges for its first road game of 2018. Through a tightly-matched game that included five ties and eight lead changes, the Bulldogs reignited their fight in the fourth quarter to take home the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) win by a score of 67-63.
The Maroon and Gray started off hot by going on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes of action. Senior forward Allison Siksnus (Placentia, CA) initiated the scoring with a lay-up, which was followed by another made basket by sophomore guard Cassandra Lacey (Victorville, CA) on the subsequent drive. On the next Sagehen possession, senior guard Caitlyn Dixon (Seattle, WA) swiped a steal that led to a sophomore guard Lindsay Kilgore (Mira Loma, CA) three-pointer to make it 7-0.
Although the Bulldogs committed some turnovers that resulted in Sagehen points, the visiting team shot an awesome 70% from the field, compared to Pomona-Pitzer's 31.3%, to stay ahead by a score of 15-10 at the end of the first quarter. First-year forward Camille Mosley (Riverside, CA) and Lacey ended the opening frame with impressive mid-range jumpers, including Lacey's buzzer-beater.
The second quarter saw the Sagehens earn their first lead of the night, but the Bulldogs battled back to tie it at 27-27 at the midway break.
The back-and-forth battle continued into the third quarter, as each team never gained more than a four-point cushion. For Redlands, senior forward Reyna Ta'amu (Lakewood, CA) stepped up with a 4-for-4 effort from down low during a three-minute span, with Dixon distributing the ball to her on three of her buckets. At the 1:48-mark, Lacey sunk both of her shots from the charity stripe to give the Bulldogs a 47-43 lead. On Redlands' subsequent offensive possession, Lacey drove the lane and was fouled on a made lay-up. She converted at the line for the successful three-point play for the Bulldogs' seven-point spread. The Sagehens put two more points on the board to keep the game tight at 50-45, as the game headed into the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Angela Silver (Scotts Valley, CA) muscled her way through the paint for the and-one bucket to kick off the final stanza. With 8:11 remaining, senior guard Courtney Chen (La Cañada, CA) sliced and diced her way to the hoop for Redlands' biggest lead of the night at 55-45.
However, the Sagehens pulled within one with two-and-a-half minutes left in the game before Siksnus made a shot from downtown and Mosley converted on a pull-up jumper to keep the Bulldogs' ahead at 64-58 with 1:20 left.
Although Pomona-Pitzer scored a last-chance three-pointer, successful trips to the free-throw line by Mosley and Lacey kept the Maroon and Gray in front for the 67-63 SCIAC victory.
Lacey posted a game-high 17 points to go along with four points and four assists. Ta'amu chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds. Dixon recorded six assists with her effective ball distribution.
Redlands (7-7, 3-3 SCIAC) continues their road contests as the head to La Verne to take on the Leopards in a SCIAC showdown on Wednesday, January 10.