THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran held Occidental to its lowest scoring total in conference play with a 73-53 win on Saturday evening. The Regals forced 21 turnovers, matching their previous game-high this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Seven different Regals scored in the first quarter, with the hot start leading to an early advantage that Cal Lutheran (14-5, 6-4 SCIAC) would never relinquish. A pair of threes by Sara Mills to end the period put the Regals up 25-14 after shooting 10-18 from the field and 4-5 from deep.

The Tigers only mustered seven more points in the second quarter as the Regals' suffocating defense was too much for a short-handed Occidental (12-6, 6-4 SCIAC) squad. Its leading scorer and rebounder, Ainsley Shelsta, missed Saturday's match with an injury.

By the end of the third period, the Regals were up by 25. The Tigers had just 33 points and hadn't made a three after the game's first 30 minutes. Cal Lutheran continued to rely on its perimeter defense, a strength that has remained consistent all season.

The large fourth-quarter lead allowed the Cal Lutheran to get some younger players game action, leading to 12 different Regals recording a point. Two of those points were scored by Anna Sherman, who hit a pull-up jumper for her first career points.

Saturday evening marked the second-lowest scoring game for an opponent and it was the second time Cal Lutheran held its opponent to just one three-pointer this season.

THE NUMBERS
Aliya DiMuro: 16 PTS, 9 REB
Mills: 12 PTS 2-3 3PT
Janna Holley: 10 PTS, 4 STL
Karina McMillan: 10 PTS, 2-3 3PT, 5 REB, 2 STL
Alline Ballard: 9 PTS, 11 REB

UP NEXT
Cal Lutheran now sits at third in the SCIAC standings, only half-a-game behind Chapman and tied with Occidental. Pomona-Pitzer and Redlands are just one game behind the Regals. The race for a spot in the SCIAC tournament is a crowded one that only five teams will win. Whittier looks comfortable at the top of the conference with an undefeated record, but the rest of the standings could shake out in any way. The Regals will need to battle during the stretch run of SCIAC play, as five of their six remaining games are on the road.

Cal Lutheran will be on the road against La Verne on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. The Regals defeated the Leopards 92-58 earlier this season.