The University of Redlands women's basketball team made the trek to Thousand Oaks for Saturday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown against the Cal Lutheran University Regals. Despite converting 25 free-throws, the Bulldogs battled to find their offensive rhythm among too many turnovers and ultimately lost by a score of 57-72.
Senior forward Reyna Ta'amu (Lakewood, CA) came out strong by scoring Redlands' first six points en route to her team's only lead of the day at 6-5 with five minutes to go in the opening quarter.
At the 3:20-mark, senior guard Caitlyn Dixon's (Seattle, WA) three-pointer moved the Bulldogs within one at 9-10, but CLU closed out the frame with a 7-0 run to put Redlands into a 9-17 hole.
After first-year guard Alyssa Lee (Monterey Park, CA) scored four of the Maroon and Gray's opening five points of the second quarter, Redlands fought to keep the deficit in the single digits. With CLU's physical play, the visitors headed to the free-throw line again and again, converting eight of 13 chances during the second quarter. In addition, sophomore guard Cassandra Lacey (Victorville, CA) carried the team by tossing in eight of her 15 points, as the Bulldogs out-scored the Regals, 16-14, in the second quarter. By the midway point of the game, Redlands trailed by a tally of 25-31.
Early in the third quarter, senior forward Angela Silver (Scotts Valley, CA) scored a lay-up and a three-pointer to pull her team within four at 32-36 and force a CLU timeout. The back-and-forth play continued but Redlands struggled from the floor and relied on free-throws to put up points. By the start of the fourth, the Regals owned a 10-point advantage.
After managing only 11 points in the third, the Bulldogs mustered a 21-point effort in the final 10 minutes, but it was not enough to overtake the home team.
Senior forward Megan Fortenberry (Riverside, CA) entered the game for only three minutes in the final quarter but tossed in four points in a quality showing.
Ta'amu registered another double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, as Lacey paced the Bulldogs with a 15-point effort. Silver added 10 points for Redlands.
The Bulldogs (8-8, 4-4 SCIAC) return home to the friendly confines of Currier Gym on Wednesday, January 17, for a non-conference bout against the University of St. Katherine. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. following the men's game.