REDLANDS, Calif. – In their second-to-last home game of the season, the University of Redlands women's basketball team (10-12, 5-8) trailed by double figures against the University of La Verne Wednesday evening inside Currier Gym before they took a fourth quarter lead, but ultimately the Leopards held on to win 78-69.
AJ Wick scored the first five points of the game to put the Bulldogs in an early 5-0 lead. The Leopards, though, scored 19 of the final 26 points as they held a 19-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
The deficit in the second quarter was as large as 12 multiple times, but Krista Karban and Leila Hosn each scored over the final 33 seconds to make it a 40-30 halftime hole.
The lead was cut to six, 52-46, with 3:53 on the clock in the third when Colbi Zorich scored on the fastbreak off a Wick assist, but La Verne scored the next four points to reestablish their double-digit lead, 56-46, with 2:06 remaining.
Over the final 1:55 Carly Hicks and Alex Facelo each connected on threes to close the gap to four, 58-54, with 10 minutes to play.
Their 8-2 run to end the third extended to 13-2 when Hosn found Zorich for another fastbreak basket and Facelo hit from deep for their first lead, 59-58, since the first quarter.
That lead would last just over a minute as La Verne scored in the paint after taking a 30-second timeout. From that point to the 4:41 mark they outscored the Bulldogs 11-3 and were up seven, 69-62.
Redlands, however, did not fold. Hosn scored four unanswered points, and after a pair of La Verne free throws, Wick found Facelo four a three with 46 seconds left in the game as it was only a two-point deficit.
The Leopards would seal the win with a late shot clock three and a four-for-four mark at the line.
Facelo had 18 points thanks to six made threes. That ties a career high and ties for the seventh most in single-game program history. She now has 65 threes on the season, seventh most.
Wick added nine points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks. She now has 34 blocks this season, ninth most. Her 525 career rebounds are 11th most.
Hosn is up to 112 assists on the season, tied for sixth most, and 30 off the record held by Cindi Pila from 1993-94.
Redlands ends their home slate with a matchup against Occidental College this Saturday at 5 p.m. inside Currier Gym.