The University of Redlands women's basketball team pushed past the visiting Occidental College Tigers to capture a 57-45 decision in Currier Gym on Wednesday night. Coupled with the Bulldogs' victory on the road in mid-January, tonight's result gives them a season sweep of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) foes from Occidental.
Although the Tigers drained the opening shot from deep, the Maroon and Gray answered by scoring 12 consecutive points for an early 12-3 advantage. Sophomore forward Kellis Dack (Vancouver, WA) hit back-to-back jumpers, while sophomore guard Alyssa Lee (Monterey Park, CA) and first-year guard Alyssa Downs (South San Francisco, CA) each sank a three-pointer.
However, Occidental quickly closed the gap to make it a two-point game by the end of the first quarter.
During the second frame, Redlands turned a 19-18 lead into a 28-23 halftime advantage. Junior guard Cassandra Lacey (Victorville, CA), Downs, and Dack combined efforts for the Bulldogs' scoring, as sophomore forward Camille Mosley (Riverside, CA) effectively crashed the boards on defense. Mosley went on to record nine rebounds in the game.
The Maroon and Gray came out firing in the third quarter and quickly built an 11-point lead at 34-23. Dack found Lacey for a nothing-but-net three-pointer before Lee delivered the dime for Downs' trey. Later in the stanza, Redlands gained quality buckets from Mosley and first-year forward Hannah Jerrier (Canton, MA) to extend its lead to 42-25 with 10 minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs kept pushing offensively, with Dack's jumper culminating a 44-28 lead by the 8:10-mark.
However, Occidental made things interesting by forcing turnovers and creating chaos with a full-court press. In addition, the Bulldogs struggled to recreate their offensive rhythm late in the game and saw their lead slip to 10 points.
Nonetheless, Redlands refocused and converted important free-throws down the stretch to secure the 57-45 victory.
Overall, the Bulldogs dominated the boards with a 57-27 margin and converted 17 second-chance points.
Lacey finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Downs added 17 points and eight boards, while Dack stepped up with 10 points and seven rebounds. In just seven minutes, sophomore guard Claire Olmstead (Sherman, TX) snagged five rebounds, including three on the offensive end.
Redlands (9-13, 6-7 SCIAC) currently sits in a three-way tie for fourth place in a very tight race for the final spot in the upcoming SCIAC Postseason Tournament. The Bulldogs host Chapman University for Family Fun Night on Saturday, February 9, at 5 p.m. in their final home contest of the regular season.
