SRJC 78, Sierra College 59

            On Coaches vs. Cancer Night at home in Haehl Pavilion, the Bear Cubs (23-2, 12-1) hosted the Wolverines (15-10, 9-4) of Sierra College. The Bear Cubs won the tipoff, and Ashleigh Barr banked in a 4-footer off the assist from Ciarah Michalik. Julianna Chavez tied the score with a basket on the Wolverines' first shot and the next time down drew a shooting foul, making one free throw. The Bear Cubs scored six unanswered points on Meredith Gilbertson's 12-footer, Lanie Lincoln's 6-foot floater, and Barr's screen-and-roll play with Lincoln. Julianne Cotterill swished a 3-pointer from straight away, and then Lincoln hit a 15-footer for a 10-6 lead. Alyssa Premo made one free throw and Cotterill a field goal. After Ciarah Michalik sank a 3-pointer, the Bear Cubs missed their next five shot attempts, while the Wolverines outscored their hosts 9-1. Lucca Lowenberg's 3-pointer got the Bear Cubs to 17-18 with 43 seconds on the clock. With 19 seconds left, Barr picked up her second foul while trying to block Chavez's 3-point attempt. Barr went to the bench, and Chavez went to the free throw line where she made all three free throws. Ten seconds later Rose Nevin passed from the high post to a cutting Lowenberg, who made the basket plus the and-one free throw. The quarter ended with the Wolverines ahead 21-20.

            Forty seconds into the second quarter Meredith Gilbertson put in a reverse layup on a baseline inbounds pass from Ciarah Michalik. Alyssa Premo's driving layup put the visitors back in front. Michalik scored on a drive, and Premo made another basket. Taylor Iacopi swished a 3-pointer at the 7:48 mark. Over two-and-a-half minutes later, Chavez's 3-pointer gave the Wolverines a 28-27 lead. Michalik hit a 15-foot pull-up jumper, Chavez a field goal, Lucca Lowenberg a 6-foot floater, Aijah King a driving layup, and Hailey Kimber one free throw and a basket, putting the Wolverines ahead 35-31 with 2:17 on the clock. The Bear Cubs finished the quarter with two free throws by Ashleigh Barr and Lowenberg's 3-point play on a drive to the hoop for a 36-35 halftime edge.

            At the 9:03 mark of the third quarter, the Sierra coach complained too harshly about a foul against one of her players right in front of their bench that the officials did not call and was assessed with technical foul. Lucca Lowenberg made the first free throw but not the second. Nearly two minutes later, after a Wolverines' miss, Ciarah Michalik caught the outlet pass and drove the length of the court to sink the layup while being fouled. She made the free throw to widen the margin to 40-35. The Bear Cubs made their next five shots—Lucca Lowenberg's 12-footer, Michalik's backdoor cut and assist from Rose Nevin, Alex Ditizio's drive, and two short shots by Ashleigh Barr off of Lanie Lincoln's assists—and two free throws by Barr to jump out to a 53-44 advantage with 2:27 on the clock. The Bear Cubs then missed all seven of their final shots while the Wolverines made three out of four free throws, to cut their lead to 53-47 by the end of the quarter.

            The Bear Cubs started the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run comprised of Alex Ditizio's 10-footer, Lanie Lincoln's 3-pointer, one free throw by Ditizio and her 3-pointer, Lucca Lowenberg's cut and assist from Meredith Gilbertson, and Ashleigh Barr's 6-footer. Christiane Carlisle made the Wolverines' first basket of the period at the 6:08 mark. During the next four minutes the Wolverines went to the free throw line four times and made 4 out of 8 free throws. Meanwhile Sheriene Arikat hit a 12-footer, drove along the baseline past a defender to score, Lucca Lowenberg intercepted a pass and made the layup plus the and-one free throw and then swished a 3-pointer. In the remaining two minutes of the contest Chavez and Carlisle each sank a 3-pointer, and Ciarah Michalik made two free throws, resulting in a 78-59 Bear Cubs' win.

            Last month the Bear Cubs were able to escape from Rocklin with a 64-62 win over the Wolverines. Tonight first half play was a tight back and forth battle. However, the second half was a totally different story, as the Bear Cubs regrouped and returned to their tough, team, pressure defense that has enabled them to win 20-plus games this season. They outscored the Wolverines 17-12 in the third quarter and 25-12 in the fourth. Meredith Gilbertson and Sheriene Arikat held post player Julianne Cotterill, who came into the game averaging 15.2 points per game, to just 5 points. Three Wolverines scored in double figures: Julianna Chavez 17, Alyssa Premo 14, and Christiane Carlisle 10.

            Lucca Lowenberg was closely guarded to prevent her from catching the ball to take 3-pointers, but she still managed to make two, along with 6 out of 8 field goal attempts on drives and pull-up jumpers, plus 4 out of 5 free throws to total 22 points. Ciarah Michalik made 5 out of 7 shots, including one 3-pointer, and 5 out of 6 free throws for 16 points. Ashleigh Barr, who was in foul trouble most of the game still finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Alex Ditizio added 8 points, Lanie Lincoln 7, Sheriene Arikat and Meredith Gilbertson 4 each, and Taylor Iacopi 3. Sheriene Arikat was the top rebounder with 7. Ciarah Michalik passed for 6 assists and Lanie Lincoln 4.