THOUSAND OAKS (12-17) – UC Santa Cruz completed their two game trip to Southern California as they took on California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. The Regals shot over 50% from the field as they defeated the Banana Slugs 78-71. 

In their last game, UC Santa Cruz won 64-58 over Chapman University on Thursday in Orange while the Regals lost 63-55 to NAIA member Vanguard University on last Saturday in Costa Mesa.

In the first quarter, the Banana Slugs started the game on a 9-2 run capped by a Tyler Stewart three pointer with 6:18 left in the quarter. The seven point lead was the largest of the quarter for the Banana Slugs. The Regals would respond with a 13-5 run, capped by a Jessica Salottolo layup with 3:18 left in the quarter, to give the Regals a 15-14 lead. The Regals would gain their largest lead of the half at five, at 24-19, on a Salottolo three pointer with three seconds left. The Regals led 24-19 at the end of the first quarter. 

In the second quarter, the two teams would play back and forth basketball. The Banana Slugs would go on a 7-2 run, capped by a Stewart three pointer with 7:26 left in the half, to tie the game at 26-26. The Banana Slugs would take the lead at three, at 31-28, on a Michelle Poole three pointer with 5:10 left in the half. The Regals would then go on an 11-7 spurt, capped by a Sofia Cruz three pointer with 1:50 left in the half, to give the Regals a 39-38 lead. The two teams went into the halftime break tied at 41-41.

In the third quarter, the Regals would start the quarter on a 6-2 spurt, capped by a Cruz free throw with 8:07 left in the quarter, to give the Regals a 47-43 lead. The Banana Slugs would get back into the ballgame and would take the lead, at 52-50, on a Katie Young layup with 5:12 left. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the game at eight, at 64-56, on a Jenna Sparks layup with fifty seven seconds left. The Banana Slugs led 64-58 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Regals started the quarter on a 10-0 run, capped by a pair of Haley Hodgson free throws with 4:10 left, to give the Regals a 68-64 lead. The closest that the Banana Slugs would come would be three, at 68-65, on a Michelle Poole free throw with 3:07 left. The Regals would gain their largest lead of the game at eight, at 75-67, on a Tatiana Dunlap free throw with thirty five seconds left. The Regals won 78-71 over the Banana Slugs.

Poole and Young had fifteen points apiece to lead the Banana Slugs. Salottolo had a game high twenty points for the Regals. Stewart had twelve points and Sparks had nine points in the loss. Cruz had eighteen, Grace Derksen had fourteen and Haley Hodgson had ten points for the Regals.

The Banana Slugs shot 41.3% (26-63) from the field, 31% (9-29) from the three-point line and was 83.3% (10-12) from the free throw line. The Regals shot 53.8% (28-52) from the field, 45% (9-20) from the three-point line and 72.2% (13-18) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced seventeen Regal turnovers scoring seventeen points off the turnovers while the Regals' defense forced fourteen turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring eleven points off the turnovers. California Lutheran outrebounded UC Santa Cruz 34-31 and the Banana Slugs had four more points off the bench (15-11) than did the Regals.

The Banana Slugs will now come home for two games. The next game for the Banana Slugs is Tuesday as they take on University of Northwestern at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 pm.