THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran held on for a 56-55 home win over Bowdoin to conclude the Best Western Posada Royale Holiday Classic on Saturday night. Erica Whitley finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds and was named Co-Most Outstanding Player of the event.
Box Score: CLU 56, BOW 55 – F
Box Score: RIV 66, WSC 64 – F
Box Score: ALB 72, NWC 50 – F
Whitley earned Co-MOP honors along with Albion's Nicole Dennis. She finished with 20 points, three assists and three steals in a 22-point victory over Northwestern (MN) to finish the event.
Jazmyne Porter (CLU), Meaghan Goodenough (CLU), Patty Rewa (ALB), Kaitlin Donahoe and Alexa Barry from Bowdoin, Deanna Purcell and Amandra Purcell from Rivier, Mollie Sir from Northwestern, and Jaimie Rubin of William Smith round out the All-Classic Team selections.
Cal Lutheran 56, Bowdoin 55 – F
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Goodenough and Chelsey Hastigan provided the opening six points of the game. Cal Lutheran broke open a 20-20 tie late in the first half with a 9-0 scoring run capped off by a pair of Goodenough triples.
She was one of two CLU seniors to play a major factor in the team's 31-24 halftime lead. Goodenough was 3-for-3 from downtown and Shana Moore was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 at the charity stripe. This pair combined to contribute 19 of their 20 points in the opening half.
Trailing 41-37 midway through the second half the Polar Bears claimed their first lead of the game scoring 10 unanswered points. Bowdoin connected on all four of its field goal attempts and went 2-for-4 at the free throw line during that three minute stretch.
The difference down the stretch proved to be Porter and Whitley for the Regals. This duo combined to score 15 of the team's final 17 points over the last seven minutes of regulation. Six of their points came at a crucial juncture turning a six-point deficit into a tie ballgame.
It put Cal Lutheran in position to win, but not before Bowdoin had one final opportunity. With possession and trailing 56-53 Jill Henrikson's game-tying 3-pointer was off the mark. Polar Bear teammate Kailin Donahoe converted the put-back lay-up as time expired.
Bowdoin's Alexa Barry finished with 15 points and 13 boards in the loss. Teammate Kaitlin Donahoe ended up with 18 points, three assists and three steals.
Cal Lutheran (6-4) will take a four-game win streak to begin conference play when it hits the road on Thursday, Jan. 5, to face Whittier.
Rivier 66, William Smith 64 – F
Saturday's opening game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes in all. The final lead change came with :09.1 seconds left as Rivier's Amandra Purcell scored the game-winning bucket courtesy of a baseline jumper.
Amandra Purcell finished with 16 points and three steals. Deanna Purcell contributed game-highs of 23 points and three blocked shots in the victory.
William Smith held the lead from the 5:24 mark of the second half down to the final minute of regulation. Jacqueline Murphy finished with 10 points and 19 rebounds to complete her double-double. Teammate Jaimie Rubin finished with 18 points, six assists and two steals in the loss.
Albion 72, Northwestern (MN) 50 – F
Albion turned a one-point lead into a 27-18 cushion at the 9:00 mark of the first half and never looked back. The Britons held at minimum a seven-point cushion the rest of the way for the victory.
Northwestern shot nearly 59 percent from the floor in the opening half but managed to attempt only 17 shots. The Eagles committed 14 first period turnovers and were held without an offensive rebound over the first 20 minutes of play.
In contrast Albion grabbed eight offensive rebounds and connected on 17-of-36 first half shot attempts. Leading the effort was Nicole Dennis' 14 points in 15 first period minutes. She finished with 20 points and was named the Co-Most Outstanding Player of the event.
Albion's Patty Rewa finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in the victory. Northwestern's Mollie Sir finished with a team-high 13 points in the loss. Both were named to the All-Classic Team.