Redlands Stays Unbeaten in SCIAC with 49-47 Win over CMS Women's Basketball

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior forward Lindsey Cleary had two baskets nine seconds apart in the final minute to tie the score 47-47, but Redlands reserve forward Julia Balesteri hit a short jumper in the paint with 15 seconds left as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team suffered a narrow 49-47 defeat at home on Wednesday evening at Roberts Pavilion.

The win enables Redlands to stay undefeated in the SCIAC at 6-0, while improving to 11-4 overall. CMS, which fell in double overtime to Chapman on Monday night and bounced back on one day's rest, slips to 9-6 overall and 2-4 in the league with the loss. 

With Redlands leading by three points, Cleary followed her own miss with 27 seconds left to bring the Athenas back to within 46-45. The Bulldogs split two foul shots to make it a two-point lead, and after the Athenas called timeout, first-year guard Jacey Carter found Cleary with an entry pass on the left block, and she spun to her left for the tying layup with 18 seconds on the clock.

Redlands took a timeout of its own to advance the ball, and after its first effort at an inbounds pass was deflected out, the Bulldogs threw a lob pass over the top of the defense to reserve forward Julia Balesteri on the weak side. Balesteri, who didn't play in the first half and came in during the fourth quarter to replace a fouled-out starter, was able to gather it in and finish a five-foot jump shot from the right side of the paint with 15 seconds left.

CMS was out of timeouts but was able to advance the ball and get into its offensive set with under 10 seconds left, as junior guard Kelly Keene got the ball off a high screen and found an angle for an entry pass to Cleary. With time running out, though, Cleary's short bank shot under defensive pressure didn't fall, and the horn sounded before the Athenas could secure the offensive rebound, giving the Bulldogs the narrow win.

CMS led 23-14 at the half after holding Redlands to only 5-22 shooting in the opening 20 minutes, and maintained its lead throughout the third quarter as the Bulldogs heated up (21 points), holding a 38-35 advantage heading into the fourth. The Bulldogs, though, started the fourth quarter with six straight points to take their first lead and put CMS in catch-up mode for the first time all night. 

First-year forward Austyn Masuno got CMS back even with 6:15 to go on an old-fashioned three-point play to make the score 41-41, but Alyssa Downs and Cassandra Lacey followed with baskets for the Bulldogs to make it a 45-41 game with 5:10 to go. Senior forward Gloria Bates hit two foul shots with 4:45 left to close the gap to 45-43, and the score stuck there for four minutes, until Balesteri made one of two at the line with 35 seconds left, setting the stage for the dramatic finish. 

Junior forward Kate Parrish had a double-double in the loss with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Cleary ended with 10 points and eight rebounds. Redlands shot 50 percent in the second half (13-26) after being held to 5-22 in the first half, as Lacey (16 points) and Downs (15 points) ended up as the game's two leading scorers. CMS held a 46-36 advantage in the rebounding department, and only turned the ball over eight times, but ended up two points short in the final score. 

CMS will take a much-needed week off after completing a busy stretch of four games in eight days, and will next be in action when it travels to Occidental next Wednesday at 7 p.m.