THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In front of a packed Gilbert Arena, the top-seeded Cal Lutheran women's basketball team delivered when it mattered most, grinding out a 63-55 victory over No. 4 seed Redlands in the SCIAC Tournament Semifinal on Thursday night.
With the win, the Regals improve to 22-4 overall and advance to Saturday's SCIAC Tournament Championship, where they will host No. 2 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps after the Athenas defeated Pomona-Pitzer in the other semifinal.
The atmosphere matched the moment, as a postseason-ready home crowd fueled a game that featured four ties and five lead changes before Cal Lu seized control late.
The opening quarter set the tone for the battle ahead. Redlands jumped out early, but the Regals answered with timely buckets from
Kaiya Mack and
Sydney Heyn. A
Kaitlyn Brongiel layup tied the game at 10, and baskets from
Janna Holley and
Alline Ballard in the final three minutes gave CLU a brief edge before the Bulldogs closed the frame at 14-14.
The second quarter remained tight, with neither side able to create much separation. After trailing 19-14, Cal Lutheran responded with a 13-2 run sparked by defensive stops and transition opportunities.
Anna Sherman knocked down key free throws, and Ballard finished inside to help the Regals take a 27-24 lead into halftime.
Heyn opened the third quarter with a three-pointer before Redlands began its push. The Bulldogs battled back to tie the game at 34-34 midway through the period, but Holley answered with a momentum-shifting three of her own. Sherman followed with another from deep, and Ballard added a jumper to keep the Regals in front as CLU carried a 44-41 advantage into the final quarter.
From there, the Regals showed the poise of a championship team.
Holley took control in the fourth, scoring 13 of her game-high 25 points in the final 10 minutes. She consistently attacked the rim, got to the free-throw line, and delivered in key moments as CLU methodically extended the lead. Mack drilled a three-pointer with just under four minutes to play to push the advantage to six, and Brongiel added a layup inside to stretch the margin to eight.
Redlands refused to fold, but every time the Bulldogs threatened, the Regals had an answer. Holley sealed the win at the line down the stretch, securing the eight-point victory.
Holley finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a commanding all-around performance. Heyn added 11 points and six rebounds, while Brongiel provided a major lift off the bench with eight points, six rebounds, and three steals.
Ballard recorded 12 rebounds to anchor a 52-44 advantage on the glass and made history in the process. With her performance, Ballard became Cal Lutheran's all-time career rebounding leader, surpassing the previous mark set by Brenda Lee in 1990 and bringing her total to 893 and counting. The milestone added yet another special moment to an already electric evening.
As a team, the Regals limited Redlands to 27.3 percent shooting from the field and just four made three-pointers, leaning on their defensive identity to withstand the pressure of postseason play.
Now, the focus shifts to Saturday. With CMS set to visit Thousand Oaks for the championship game, the Regals will look to defend their tournament title on their home floor at 5 p.m.
