The visiting Tommies of the University of St. Thomas (MN) held on for a 63-61 victory over the University of Redlands in the second game of the 26th Annual Redlands Tip-Off Classic. With 3:19 remaining in the game, St. Thomas hit a game-changing three-pointer that eventually led to the victory.

During the first half, the Maroon and Gray appeared to control the tempo of the game and earned a two-point advantage at 18-16 with just over eight minutes to go.

After back-to-back free-throws by sophomore forward Shada Sadeghi (Walnut Creek, CA), Redlands extended that lead to seven at 33-26.

But the Tommies took advantage of five costly Redlands turnovers by going on an 11-2 run to finish out the half with a two-point lead.

Down 35-37, Redlands fought back and finally tied the game at 47 when senior guard Ali Bueno (San Jose, CA) hit her only shot of the night on an important three-pointer.

From here, it was a back-and-forth battle, until sophomore forward Ali Johnson (St. Louis Park, MN) nailed a critical shot from long range, giving the Tommies a 59-56 lead.

The teams traded baskets down the stretch but the Bulldogs never recovered, resulting in the two-point win for the Tommies.

For St. Thomas, junior center Rachel Booth (Minneapolis, MN) provided big numbers for the second game in a row, this time pouring in 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting. In addition, Johnson came up with impressive plays in the final minutes, including a total of 12 points to go along with 13 rebounds for a double-double. She also added four assists.

Redlands was led by sophomore forward Courtney Carroll’s (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) 18-point, 11-rebound performance. Junior guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort (Ventura, CA) chipped in 12 points and nine boards in the loss.

Booth earned Tournament MVP honors, while Johnson, Carroll, Barbetti-Cort, and Chapman University’s Tara Glennon landed on the All-Tournament team.

The Bulldogs (1-1) look forward to hosting Westmont College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Currier Gym.