In a tale of two halves, the University of Redlands women's basketball team fell short in a 62-67 non-conference showdown against the visiting Golden Eagles of La Sierra University on Saturday night in Currier Gym.

Down 2-3 early in the game, Redlands looked to junior guard Alyssa Downs (South San Francisco, CA) to push the home team in front with back-to-back buckets.  After senior forward Kellis Dack (Vancouver, WA) converted a second-chance layup, Downs hit a nothing-but-netter three-pointer to give Redlands an eight-point lead midway through the opening quarter.  The teams traded baskets to close out the period, but the Maroon and Gray sat in front by a score of 16-7.

During the second quarter, La Sierra clawed its way back to make it a two-point game by the 4:24-mark, but junior guard Jordan Smith (Tustin, CA) found Downs for a well-timed triple and the Bulldogs' 23-18 advantage. For every surge orchestrated by the Golden Eagles, the Maroon and Gray found an answer to keep the opponents at bay.  Late in the frame, sophomore guard Angelina Roque (San Diego, CA) swiped a steal before knocking down a jumper for Redlands' 31-24 lead.  However, La Sierra responded with five quick points in the final 28 seconds to cut it two once again. 

Clinging to a 31-29 lead, Redlands gained buckets from Downs and sophomore guard Marisa Urbano-Sedlund (San Diego, CA) early in the third frame.  But La Sierra upped its offense to keep things close and eventually snagged only its second lead of the game at 34-33 with 7:43 left in the frame.  Despite Downs' successful shots from downtown, the Maroon and Gray faced an uphill climb, as the Golden Eagles caught fire at the right time.

With a 10-point hole to start the fourth, Redlands saw junior forward Hannah Jerrier (Canton, MA), first-year guard Abria Laue (Camarillo, CA), and Dack contribute critical points early on.  Urbano-Sedlund tallied a pair of late buckets but it was not enough for the Bulldogs to overcome the deficit.

Downs led the Maroon and Gray with her 17-point effort that included five three-pointers.  She also snagged seven rebounds, with three of them coming on the offensive end.  Urbano-Sedlund added 13 points, while Roque added 11.

Redlands (1-1) heads to Cal Lutheran University on Saturday, March 27, for a 2 p.m. clash against the Regals.