The University of Redlands women's basketball team put together a late rally, but its comeback came up just short as the Bulldogs lost 54-46 to No. 6 Amherst College Tuesday afternoon.
Redlands moves to 8-4 on the year, while the Mammoths improve to 7-1 overall.
Amherst scored the first points of the game, but the Bulldogs responded with seven unanswered points to jump in front. Senior guard Cassandra Lacey (Victorville, CA) played a big roll in the run, dishing out a fast-break assist after stealing the ball away before going coast to coast to put Redlands up by five, 7-2.
Momentum shifted in the second half of the quarter, however, as the Mammoths ended the period on a 14-3 run to hold a 19-12 cushion after the first 10 minutes of action.
The Bulldogs opened the second quarter with back-to-back baskets to pull within one possession, 16-19. Freshman forward Julia Balesteri (Pleasanton, CA) and freshman guard Angelina Roque (San Diego, CA) each scored off assists from freshman guard Alexis Machain (San Diego, CA).
Amherst got the stops it needed, however, and took a 35-23 cushion over Redlands into halftime. The Mammoth extended it to 42-23, before the Bulldogs could regroup.
Sophomore guard/forward Alyssa Downs (South San Francisco, CA) cut the scoring spree with consecutive baskets, but Amherst built back a 20-point lead, 47-27.
In the final 10 minutes, Redlands came out determined to battle back in the game. Downs came up big on defense, blocking a Mammoth shot to put the Bulldogs back on the attack. Downs then drained a three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run, putting Redlands within single digits, 42-51.
The Bulldogs out-scored the Mammoths 12-to-3 in the fourth, but it wasn't enough as Amherst won the game 54-46.
Downs led the Bulldogs with 19 points (7-for-11, 5-for-8 three-pointers). Sophomore forward Hannah Jerrier (Canton, MA) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and Lacey finished with a game-high four steals.
The Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday, hosting Cal Lutheran at 4 p.m. for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest.