Gloria Bates - Women's Basketball

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Junior guard Gloria Bates had a huge week to lead the CMS women's basketball to wins over Pomona-Pitzer and Redlands and sole possession of first place in the SCIAC, so big that she was nominated for both the SCIAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week Awards (winning the Defensive Player of the Week one).

On Thursday, in a head-to-head battle for first place in the SCIAC, Bates matched her career high with 18 points on 7-11 shooting and added a career-best five blocked shots, as the Athenas pulled away for a 78-55 win over Pomona-Pitzer and sole possession of first in the league standings. 

The career high in scoring didn't last long, as she came right back on Saturday night against Redlands to score 23 points on 9-14 shooting, helping to break open a defensive struggle. With the score tied 32-32 late in the third, Bates had a personal 7-0 run to make it a 39-32 game, adding the final basket of the quarter to make it a 12-0 run and give CMS a 44-32 lead going in the fourth. She also added three steals and two more blocks to her defensive numbers, as she helped CMS hold Redlands to only 41 points for the second time this season. 

For the week, Bates helped CMS hold huge edges in both bench scoring (77-15, including 37-2 vs. Redlands) and rebounding (95-44 (including 57-16 vs. Pomona-Pitzer). The Athenas also held a 31-2 edge in second-chance points and a 76-22 advantage in points in the paint. 

CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts La Verne for a 5 p.m. contest at Roberts Pavilion.