The University of Redlands women's basketball team overcame a slow start on Saturday to defeat the Athenas of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in an important Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) clash of two of the league's unbeaten teams. Trailing by three at the end of the first half, the Bulldogs stepped up their offense while holding CMS to a mere 29.6% shooting display en route to the 60-42 victory.
During the opening stanza, neither team seemed to find its rhythm, resulting in a less than stellar 21-18 halftime score.
After making some key adjustments, the Maroon and Gray scored more than twice as many points in the second half to pull away for the eventual win.
Early in the final frame, Redlands took the lead for the first time at the 17:59-mark when sophomore forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) sank a pair of free-throw shots. She went on to provide a game-high 15 points while grabbing nine rebounds.
The teams traded baskets until the Bulldogs nabbed the lead for the final time with 12:39 to go in the game as freshman guard Kaity Lykins (Simi Valley, CA) nailed a jumper. She stepped up with 10 of her 14 points during the second half.
This inspired a 10-2 run for the Maroon and Gray to make it 42-33 with 6:46 left on the clock. Moments later, the Bulldogs ran away with the victory by outscoring the Athenas, 18-9, in the final minutes.
Besides putting up double figures for the second consecutive time, Lykins played a huge role in the Bulldogs' 48-29 rebounding advantage. She pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds, highlighted by nine on the offensive end.
In addition, senior forward Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) chipped in 12 points and dished out six assists, while senior guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort (Ventura, CA) added 10 rebounds and four assists.
CMS' (9-6, 3-1 SICAC) Frannie Hammelgarn led the Athenas with 10 points, with Jennifer Ringoen pulling in nine rebounds.
Redlands (10-5, 4-0 SCIAC) returns home to Currier Gym on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. bout against the Regals of Cal Lutheran University.