The University of Redlands women's basketball team hit the road to take on the Beavers of Caltech in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) match-up on Saturday night. Amidst a defensive battle, the Maroon and Gray went ahead and expanded its lead with a 20-point fourth quarter to secure a dominating, 56-38 victory.
Although Redlands held a lead at the end of the first, Caltech kept things close with a score of 13-9. Senior forward Reyna Ta'amu (Lakewood, CA) paced the team with four points, while senior forward Angela Silver (Scotts Valley, CA) hauled in three rebounds in the opening 10 minutes.
First-year guard Alyssa Lee (Monterey Park, CA) provided a spark off the bench by making the first four points of the second quarter. Senior guard Caitlyn Dixon (Seattle, WA) and senior forward Megan Fortenberry (Riverside, CA) also added to the fire-power with two jumpers and a lay-up. Although Redlands was still in the lead, 23-16, at halftime, Caltech was hot on its heels.
The third quarter saw the largest spread for the Bulldogs, as they held the Beavers to just six points. Senior forward Allison Siksnus (Placentia, CA) kicked off the frame with a lay-up. At the 3:01-mark, first-year forward Camille Mosley (Riverside, CA) made a mid-range floater to add to the visitors' advantage. She did her part on both ends of the court, as she blocked Caltech's ensuing shot. A minute and half later, first-year guard Lindsey Kilgore (Mira Loma, CA) drained a shot from downtown to give the Bulldogs a 12-point lead at 34-22.
The Maroon and Gray really pulled away in the fourth quarter when it erupted for 20 points to solidify the conference win. Lee opened the final stanza with an and-one play that was followed by a three-pointer off the hands of senior guard Courtney Chen (La Canada, CA) to make the score 42-24 with 8:09 left in the game.
Siksnus, Ta'amu, sophomore guard Cassandra Lacey (Victorville, CA), and first-year forward Kellis Dack (Vancouver, WA) combined for the next 12 points to give Redlands its biggest lead of the night at 54-33 with 2:35 left to go.
Caltech managed a few more buckets before the end of the game, but the Redlands win was well in hand, as the Bulldogs headed home with a 56-38 SCIAC triumph.
Ta'amu led the Maroon and Gray with 11 points, while Siksnus added nine. A. Silver was impressive on the defensive side of the ball by hauling in nine rebounds. Siksnus showed her skill as well with eight boards. Redlands' nonstarters were incredible in providing 27 points off the bench.
The Bulldogs (14-10, 9-6 SCIAC) look to take this momentum onto Saturday, February 17, when they host Cal Lutheran University in an important SCIAC showdown. They will celebrate their seniors prior to the game, which is slated for 7 p.m. in Currier Gym.