U of R’s basketball teams dominate at Caltech

The University of Redlands basketball teams overwhelmed Caltech in recent games.

The women's basketball team (16-5, 9-4 SCIAC) outscored the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) by 42 points in the first 30 minutes of their game Wednesday night as they came away with the 89-50 road win.

On the same evening, the men’s basketball team scored enough points in the second half alone to beat the Caltech Wednesday evening as they cruised to their victory over the Beavers 148-72.

The women’s team tied a season-high as 11 made three-pointers, which included the first made bucket of the game from sophomore Andrea Perkins (Seal Beach), three off a freshman Teagan McIlroy (Phoenix, Arizona) assist.

Photo credit: goredlands.com

Bulldog Teagan McIlroy

McIlroy then added four more points, while senior Leila Hosn (Seattle) got into the paint followed by Perkins knocking down a midrange jumper to extend the Bulldog lead to nine, 11-2.

Ahead by eight with 2:34 on the clock in the opening quarter, junior AJ Wick (Henderson, Nevada) connected in the paint to help the Bulldogs close the quarter off on an 8-2 run.

Caltech cut the deficit to nine at the 5:59 mark of the second quarter, but :25 seconds later Hosn got into the paint and made a pull-up jumper, which was the first two of 15 unanswered points for U of R.

During the run, seniors Colbi Zorich (Woodinville, Washington) had five points and Carly Hicks (Portland, Oregon) three, and freshman Olivia McIntyre (Spokane, Washington) added two, which pushed the advantage to 24, 44-20, with 1:51 remaining in the opening half.

The Beavers did score five points in the last minute and a half, but the lead remained at 20 plus, 46-25, at the break.

If there was any doubt in an eventual Bulldog win beginning the third quarter, McIlroy ended it as she went on a personal 7-0 run and scored 10 points in the first six minutes to help give Redlands a 34-point lead, 61-27, with 3:11 still to play in the period.

McIntyre finished with six points across the final 2:38, while McIlroy found senior Aliyah Anderson (Oceanside) for a fastbreak three helping the Bulldogs go into the final quarter up 42, 70-28.

Hosn pulled down a defensive rebound in the first minute of the fourth quarter and pushed the ball up the court where she found junior Avery Shiring (Yorba Linda) for a triple. McIntyre then made a pair of free throws for a 47-point lead, which was more than enough to secure the dominant win.

Hosn and McIlroy each had 16 points and McIntyre chipped in 14 off the bench. McIlroy also had nine rebounds and four assists. Wick was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Redlands made 11 three-pointers and shot 50 percent from downtown. Those tie the previous season highs of 11 made three-pointers and their 50 percent conversion rate against California Lutheran University (CLU) at the beginning of January.

The Lady Bulldogs remain on the road where they travel to Occidental College this Saturday, Feb. 14 for a game beginning at 4 p.m.

For the men’s matchup at Caltech, the Bulldogs had an early five-point lead after two minutes thanks to a three-pointer from senior Jake Hlywiak (Valencia) followed by connections coming from senior Omari Ferguson (Chicago), graduate student Chozen Amadi (Richardson, Texas), and senior Lucas Gordon (San Marcos).

Photo credit: Brad Freeman

Senior Omari Ferguson with the ball.

The lead would eventually grow to eight after an Amadi three, but an 18-7 Beaver run gave the lead to Caltech putting them up three, 24-21, with 12:02 on the clock.

Hlywiak, however, came right back and made back-to-back three-pointers which sparked a 13-0 Bulldog run in less than three minutes.

The lead was cut down to seven with 5:27 to play in the opening half after a Caltech three. Junior Derek Sangster (Sunnyvale) then got to the line making both in what was the first two points of 18 for the Maroon and Grey over the last five minutes as Redlands took a 21-point lead, 60-39, into the half.

It was all Bulldogs in the opening minutes of the second period, scoring 23 of the first 27 points in less than four minutes pushing their lead to 40, 83-43.

Off a Donovan Ware (sophomore, Palmdale) steal with 12:17 on the clock, Ferguson found freshman Austin Unegbu (Long Beach) for a fastbreak layup and a 98-48 lead.

The Bulldogs kept building their advantage, which was in the 70's for the final three minutes, as they won their second consecutive game.