written by Jalen Kang
LA VERNE, Calif. – Three Regals scored in double figures, led by Alline Ballard's 14-point, 16-rebound double-double, as Cal Lutheran women's basketball secured a 64-51 victory over La Verne.
Ballard, the reigning SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Week, posted her third game with 15+ rebounds and has grabbed double-digit boards in her last 12 games. The Regals' (15-5, 7-4 SCIAC) control of the glass was the X-factor in their win tonight, as they outrebounded the Leopards (5-15, 2-10 SCIAC) 49-31 and scored 18 second-chance points while holding the Leopards scoreless in that category.
With five games left in the regular season, the Regals currently sit in third place in the SCIAC standings, just a half-game back of second-place Chapman and three-and-a-half games back of first-place Whittier.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Regals established a commanding 26-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. Ballard was instrumental from the opening tip, scoring 11 of her 14 points in the quarter alone. Her early dominance inside set the tone for the Regals, who shot an impressive 61.1% from the field in the quarter. Janna Holley scored the first of her 14 points at the 4:15 mark, which kickstarted an 11-0 Regals run capped off by a three-pointer by Alexa Greenwood.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the second quarter, but the Regals outscored La Verne 10-7 in the frame to enter the second half up 36-21.
The Leopards tallied the first 7 points of the quarter, but two quick baskets from Aliya DiMuro followed by a series of successful defensive stops got the Regals back on track. Midway through the quarter, a 13-2 run, sparked by consecutive baskets from DiMuro and Holley, expanded their lead significantly. Karina McMillan knocked down two free throws with 46 seconds left in the quarter to stretch their lead to a marginal 23 points, 56-33.
In the final quarter, La Verne attempted a comeback, outscoring the Regals 16-8. However, the deficit proved too large to overcome as they never managed to close the gap to fewer than 13 points from the lead.
THE NUMBERS
- Alline Ballard: 14 PTS, 16 REB
- Janna Holley: 14 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL
- Aliya DiMuro: 12 PTS, 3 OREB
- Karina McMillan: 6 PTS, 7 REB
FROM HEAD COACH KELLI DIMURO
On the team's recent performance: "I'm really proud of how we've been playing lately. We're finding our rhythm at the right time, and the team is locked in on both ends of the floor. We talk a lot about playing with energy and passion, and I think that's showing in our performances. With the SCIAC playoff race heating up, every game matters. We're embracing that challenge.
On rebounding being a key part of team identity: "Rebounding is such a huge part of who we are. Even on nights when shots aren't falling, we know we can control our effort on the glass. Winning the rebounding battle gives us extra possessions and helps set the tone physically. Tonight, our ability to crash the boards and generate second-chance opportunities made a big difference and that's something we emphasize every game because it fuels everything else we do."
UP NEXT
The Regals get a second crack at Redlands, who bested them 57-73 on Dec. 7. They face the Bulldogs on the road on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m.