The University of Redlands women's basketball team played its first of three contests on its three-game road trip to the New York City area on Wednesday evening, edging the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University, 61-50. In a very defensive-oriented game in which baskets came at a premium, the Bulldogs took advantage of their ability to rebound the ball and convert free-throw opportunities in the non-conference triumph.
Due to a mechanical issue, the game started approximately 30 minutes late.
The Bulldogs started off slow, but senior guard Colleen Goeser (San Carlos, CA) got the visitors on the board after two scoreless minutes and gave Redlands the lead when she converted an and-one layup opportunity.
After the two sides traded a few baskets, junior guard Kaity Lykins (Simi Valley, CA) put Redlands in front with four-straight points at the 12:57 mark, and the Bulldogs never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the game. Redlands closed the first half on a 26-16 run with junior guardKameran Dage (Walnut Creek, CA) knocking down a pair of long-range efforts during the final two minutes to cap off the offensive spurt for Redlands.
At the halftime break, the U of R led NJCU, 36-26. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 42.4% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc, while the Gothic Knights shot just 32.3% from the field and only 25.0% from downtown.
In the second stanza, senior forward Brittany Oster (Agoura Hills, CA) started well and scored four of the Bulldogs first seven points in the period, helping to maintain the 10-point advantage.
Over the next several minutes, however, the U of R offense sputtered and with 9:16 remaining in regulation, NJCU had pulled to within six points.
After a key timeout taken by Bulldog Head Coach Rich Murphy, Redlands responded with a layup from Oster and five more consecutive points as the Maroon and Gray extended its lead back to 13 points. As a part of that run, junior guard Caitlin Ciardella (South San Francisco, CA) nailed a clutch three-pointer.
From that point on, the Bulldogs played stifling defense and converted the necessary offensive opportunities en route to the 11-point victory.
Leading the way for Redlands with an all-around great performance was Oster with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Dage also notched 11 points on a 4-of-9 shooting effort. Off the bench, senior Marika Staton(El Centro, CA) racked up a team-high 12 points to go along with two rebounds and two steals.
As a team, the U of R went 19-of-25 from the charity stripe, while holding the Gothic Knights to just an 8-for-16 effort from the line. Additionally, the Bulldogs held the rebounding advantage, 46-39.
Redlands (6-2) takes a one-day break from games and will tour New York City on its day off on Thursday. The Bulldogs then return to the hard court on Friday evening when they match up with the College of New Rochelle (NY) at 4 p.m. PST. If you cannot make it to the game, be sure to follow the action via live stats!