REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands women's basketball team (5-6, 1-2) returned to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Wednesday evening inside Currier Gym as they hosted rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS). They were within one point of the Athenas with 4:29 to play but CMS was able to outscore Redlands 7-0 as the Bulldogs lost 58-50.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start in the opening three plus minutes as they held a five-point lead, 8-3, thanks to a pair of baskets from Colbi Zorich and Kayden Sanders.

Leading 10-5 with 5:23 on the clock, the offense went cold as they failed to score again while the Athena offense put nine points on the board and took a four-point lead, 14-10, into the second quarter.

The 9-0 CMS run was extended to 16-0 in the first four minutes of the second quarter as they held the first double-digit lead of the game, 21-10. The Bulldogs, however, would respond with a Sanders three off a Carly Hicks assist and then Zorich made a jumper to cut the deficit to five with 4:16 left in the half.

In the final minutes Redlands got within three and would go into the break trailing by four, 29-25, after Aliyah Anderson made a free throw after grabbing a defensive rebound and then drawing a foul.

CMS opened the third quarter with the first basket as they made it a six-point game, but Sanders made another three as AJ Wick got the assist. From that point forward the Bulldogs would remain within one possession of the Athenas for the next eight minutes which included them tying the game at 36 after Wick made a jumper in the paint with six minutes on the clock. That basket, though, was the last made field goal of the quarter and they would see CMS take a 45-39 lead into the final 10 minutes.

After a competitive third quarter, the Athenas kept a multi-possession lead until the 5:02 mark when Sanders made a third important three to draw them within three, 51-48. Zorich would add a pair of free throws to the tally as the Bulldogs had gotten within one, 51-50, with 4:29 still to play. That score, though, would be their final as they dropped their second SCIAC game of the season.

Sanders had her second consecutive career-high in points as she led the Bulldogs with 16 points (6-12 FG, 4-6 3FG). Zorich and Wick each added 13 points with them grabbing seven and 12 rebounds respectively.

The Bulldogs will now prepare to head to Whittier College to play the Poets at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.