REDLANDS, Calif. — California Lutheran's Kailee Yan scored a team high 18 points and Kiana Gray added 16 more as the women's basketball team defeated Redlands 74-67 in overtime Saturday night in Currier Gym.
The night was a playoff before the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament as the top-four teams were all in action. Cal Lutheran and Redlands were playing for the No. 3 spot, with the Regals claiming that.
The other game was to determine the top seed. Chapman went in undefeated, but was knocked off by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. With the loss, Chapman is now the No. 2 seed and will play the Regals in the first round of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament.
Yan led the Regals past the Bulldogs. She had an efficient shooting night as she went 5-of-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc. Gray was next with 16. She added five rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Grace Derksen was the third Regal to score 10-plus points. Derksen put up 13 points. She didn't stop there as she led the Regals with seven boards. She also chipped in two assists and one steal.
Nayiri Aslanian came off the bench and hit two big threes as she put up eight points. Natalie Ruhl added six points and two assists.
The big difference in the game was bench points. Cal Lutheran's bench outscored the Redlands' bench 25-6.
The first quarter was very close and both defenses were on point. After the first 10 minutes, Cal Lutheran was up 11-7. The Regals added to their lead at the start of the second quarter and were up by as much as 12, 19-7. CLU kept the 10-plus point margin at the half and were up 31-20.
In the third quarter, the Regals had their biggest lead of the game at 48-32. The Bulldogs added a free throw at the end of the quarter and trailed 48-33. Redlands turned the game around in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs started the third quarter on a 10-2 run and the lead was down to single digits.
Little by little, the Bulldogs kept cutting into the lead. The game was down to a one-possession game with 13 seconds left. With seven seconds left, and the Regals up three, Redlands hit a three-pointer with 1 second left to force overtime. Regulation ended with the teams tied at 56.
In the extra period, The Regals scored the first four points and had the quick lead. CLU wouldn't allow Redlands to answer and continued to add to the lead. The Regals made their free throws down the stretch and won the game 74-67.
Cal Lutheran continues its season in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament. The Regals travel to Orange, Calif., and will take on Chapman Thursday at 7 p.m.
Box Score: CLU 74, UR 67 (OT)
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
