CMS Women's Basketball Has Win Streak Snapped at First-Place Redlands

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team had its eight-game winning streak snapped as it dropped a hard-fought defensive battle at first-place Redlands 54-49 on Wednesday evening at Currier Gymnasium.

The win clinched the regular season SCIAC title for Redlands, which improves to 18-6 overall and 13-2 in league play. CMS slips to 17-7 overall and 10-5 in conference, falling into third place as Whittier defeated Pomona-Pitzer on Wednesday to improve to 11-4 with one game left in the regular season. 

First-year forward Austyn Masuno was the standout offensive player for the Athenas, tallying 15 points off the bench in 15 minutes on 4-8 shooting from the floor and 7-7 from the line. Senior forward Lindsey Cleary added 10 points for CMS as well. 

The Athenas used their defense to jump out to a 28-19 lead at the half. After falling behind 5-0 on the first two possessions of the game, CMS held Redlands to only two points over a span of over 15 minutes, pulling ahead 19-7 midway through the second quarter. Junior forward Kate Parrish got CMS started and Cleary had two straight baskets to put the Athenas ahead 6-5. After Redlands answered for a 7-6 lead, Masuno had four points sandwiched around a layup from junior guard Katelynn Nguyen to make it a 12-7 game going into the second quarter.

CMS kept the run going after the short break, as senior guard Lauren Longo knocked down a three-pointer, Parrish hit two foul shots, and sophomore forward Jane Baldwin converted a layup to give CMS a 19-7 lead with 5:20 left in the half. 

Alexis Machain ended the long Redlands drought with a three-pointer with 4:37 left in the half to make it 19-10, and the teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter as CMS went into the locker room ahead 28-19, with Masuno capping off the half with a layup with nine seconds left.

Alyssa Downs got Redlands back within four points with a three-pointer to close the third quarter with 27 seconds left, making it a 36-32 game going into the final period. Hannah Jerrier gave the Bulldogs their first lead since 7-6 with a jumper with 4:59 to go to put the Bulldogs in front 42-40. Baldwin answered to tie it back up, but Alyssa Lee gave Redlands the lead for good with a three-point play with 4:04 to go, making the score 45-42. 

Masuno hit two foul shots to close the gap to one point, and CMS earned a stop with a chance to take the lead back, but Redlands returned the stop and got a three-point play from Jerrier with 1:56 left to make it 48-44. Cleary came back with a layup for CMS, but Jerrier answered at the 1:29 mark to make it a two-possession game, and Redlands was able to secure the win with four foul shots. Sophomore forward Flora Durgerian capped the scoring on a late three-pointer to make the final 54-49. 

CMS will close out the regular season at La Verne on Saturday for a 4 p.m. contest. The Athenas have already secured a spot in the SCIAC Tournament, and will merely be playing for seeding as Redlands will be the top seed, while CMS, Whittier and Pomona-Pitzer will jockey for the final three seeds when the tournament gets underway next Thursday.