The University of Redlands women's basketball team returned to action after nearly a year, earning an exciting 79-60 road victory against the La Sierra University Golden Eagles on Saturday night. With senior forward Kellis Dack (Vancouver, WA) scoring a career-high 20 points, the Bulldogs led from the two-minute mark of the opening quarter and never looked back.
A back-and-forth start resulted in a knotted score at 9-9 with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter. Redlands finished out the frame with 6-0 scoring run that included buckets from junior guard Alyssa Downs (South San Francisco, CA) and junior forward Hannah Jerrier (Canton, MA).
Redlands continued to pull away with effective shooting in the second quarter, as junior guard Chyanne Pagkalinawan (Valencia, CA), Downs, and sophomore guard Marisa Urbano-Sedlund (San Diego, CA) made shots from beyond the arc. Dack made it a 10-point game at 30-20 by converting both of her free-throws late in the period.
Dack continued to light up the scoreboard in the third quarter, helping the Bulldogs stretch their lead to 52-35 with 3:15 to go. She finished the period with 16 points. In addition, Downs and Urbano-Sedlund remained effective from deep to keep Redlands at a comfortable distance.
Leading 56-41 to start the fourth, Redlands saw first-year forward Starla Murillo (Fremont, CA) and sophomore guard Angelina Roque (San Diego, CA) add firepower to the offensive outpouring. After La Sierra cut it to 12 with 3:27 left in the game, Urbano-Sedlund knocked down a big bucket from beyond the arc, followed by Pagkalinawan's three-pointer on the Bulldogs' ensuing possession. With plenty of momentum, Redlands cruised to the 79-60 victory.
Dack paced the Maroon and Gray with 20 points off 8-for-9 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds. Downs scored 17 points and delivered six assists, while Urbano-Sedlund and Jerrier combined for 22 points. Jerrier also completed the double-double with 10 boards.
Overall, Redlands shot 55.6% from the floor and 52.9% from three-point range. The visiting team hauled in 39 rebounds, as compared to La Sierra's 27.
The Bulldogs (1-0) face Cal Lutheran University on Saturday, March 13, at 2 p.m. in Thousand Oaks. Spectators are not allowed but may follow along via the live stream.