The University of Redlands women's basketball team tipped off the 2010-11 regular season with an 89-52 rout of the visiting Golden Eagles of La Sierra University on Tuesday night in Currier Gym. With D3hoops.com Preseason All-American Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) leading the charge, the Bulldogs captured a 10-point halftime lead and never looked back.
With 5:40 to go in the first stanza, Redlands owned a 24-23 advantage but then exploded on a 13-0 run to make it 37-23. The Golden Eagles rallied to cut the lead to nine with less than a minute to play in the half. However, Carroll converted a three-point play and La Sierra nabbed one more basket before the break, resulting in a 40-30 score.
At the 17:22 mark of the second half, the Golden Eagles moved within eight on back-to-back free throws by freshman Natalia Hawthorne, but this was as close as they would come with Redlands holding a double-digit lead through the final whistle.
In just seven minutes of action, sophomore guard Ashley Sevilla (San Diego, CA) lit up the scoreboard with 14 points, including four baskets from long range.
Junior point guard Christina Rios (San Diego, CA) dished out 11 assists in the final frame alone.
Overall, Carroll racked up a game-high 23 points, which included a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the line. Junior guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort (Ventura, CA) controlled the boards with a game-high nine rebounds to go along with seven points and five assists.
The Bulldogs gained great support from their first-year contributors, highlighted by freshman center Victoria Fakalata's (East Palo Alto, CA) 10 points and four boards.
Redlands utilized every member of its 12-player roster, with all but one scoring at least two points.
La Sierra (1-6) gained dual 17-point performances from Hawthorne and freshman Stephanie Bryant. Hawthorne added a team-leading six rebounds.
The Bulldogs (1-0) take to the road for their next five contests, competing in back-to-back tournaments to go along with a showdown against regional rival Chapman University on Dec. 4.
