While never trailing in an intense and physical contest, the University of Redlands women's basketball team captured a hard-fought 65-52 win over the visiting Tigers of Occidental College on Saturday in Currier Gym. After celebrating their seniors in a short pregame presentation, the Bulldogs stepped up with a much-needed victory by showing great poise while taking advantage of opportunity at the charity stripe.
The Maroon and Gray came out firing on all cylinders, as senior forward Chelsea Katsch (Davis, CA) found senior guards Ashley Sevilla (San Diego, CA) and Allison Wong (Redding, CA) for back-to-back three-pointers and the early momentum.
Although the Tigers quickly answered with big shots of their own to make it a one-point game at 9-10, the Bulldogs erupted for an 11-2 run to create some distance by the 10:56-mark. Junior guard Marika Staton (El Centro, CA) led the charge with six of her team-high 17 points during this stretch.
The Bulldogs maintained their lead through the end of the stanza due to a well-rounded effort that included seven scorers. In addition, Oxy's physical style of play sent Redlands to the line on 20 occasions, with the Maroon and Gray knocking down 17 free-throws. On the other hand, the Tigers only went 6-for-11 from the stripe in the first 20 minutes.
Neither team shot particularly well in the first half, but Redlands managed to sink one more three-pointer than Oxy.
The Tigers refused to go away, starting the second stanza with a 10-0 run to tie it up at 35 with 15:13 to go. Senior guard Makenzie Brandon (Seattle, WA) fired off six points during this spurt, leading her team's comeback.
Over the next three minutes, Redlands rattled off six unanswered points to go up 41-35, with Staton, junior forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) and junior forward Madison Sanders-Curry (San Jose, CA) each converting a basket.
Redlands eventually built the advantage to 50-39 at the 6:27-mark, with five of the Bulldogs' nine points coming at the charity stripe.
However, Brandon and junior forward Elizabeth Messick (Reno, NV) stepped up for the Tigers, willing their team back into the game. The duo single-handedly scored Oxy's next 13 points, forcing another tie at 52 apiece.
Nonetheless, Staton responded for the Bulldogs, nailing a three-pointer with 2:14 remaining to create a shift in the momentum with Redlands leading, 55-52.
From here, the Tigers revealed their frustration, with multiple fouls down the stretch, including a flagrant, allowing Redlands to secure the win at the free-throw line.
In addition, the Bulldogs' stifling defense held Oxy scoreless in the final 2:47 of the game.
Once again, tough defense led to a less-than-stellar shooting night for both squads. Redlands finished with a 29.8% effort, while the Tigers came in at 27.3%. The noticeable difference was at the charity stripe, as the Maroon and Gray converted 28 of its 35 opportunities, and Occidental was 15-for-22.
Beyond Staton's 17 points, the Maroon and Gray gained 10 apiece from junior guard Colleen Goeser (San Carlos, CA), Wong, and Oster. Oster also stepped up defensively with 14 rebounds, helping the Bulldogs to hold a slight 50-48 advantage on the boards.
For Oxy, Brandon led all scorers with 23 points to go along with her 10 rebounds. Messick scored eight points and pulled in 14 boards.
With the win along with other results around the conference, the Bulldogs move into third place in the SCIAC, with two games remaining in the regular season. The Tigers slip into a tie for fourth place.
Redlands (17-6, 10-4 SCIAC) finishes out the regular season on the road, traveling to Cal Lutheran University on Thursday and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday. Tip-off in Thousand Oaks is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. while Saturday's contest begins at 5 p.m.
