Bear Cubs win at home 58-35

Lucca Lowenberg playing defense

SRJC 58, Shasta College 35

            The Bear Cubs (4-0) played their first home game of the season Thursday evening in the newly decorated Haehl Pavilion, which also featured a new scoreboard. Their opponents were the Shasta College Knights (4-2), who had won their last four games, including a 55-23 victory over American River College. The Knights' post player, Isabela Padilla, scored the first basket 92 seconds into the contest. About a minute later Ashleigh Barr banked in a 2-footer on an assist from Meredith Gilbertson. After the Knights made one free throw, Lucca Lowenberg swished a shot from beyond the arc. A Knights' field goal tied the score at 5 apiece at the 6:02 mark. The Knights broke the tie with a basket nearly three minutes later. Lucca Lowenberg's 3-pointer put the Bear Cubs in front. The Knights re-took the lead 9-8 with 41 seconds left. Sheriene Arikat's scoring drive with 19 seconds on the clock gave the Bear Cubs a 10-9 edge by the end of the quarter.

            The Bear Cubs scored the first seven points of the second quarter on 5 out of 8 free throws and Meredith Gilbertson's drive. With 5:21 on the clock, Isabela Padilla drew a shooting foul and made both free throws. On the Bear Cubs' next possession, Reese Searcy drained a 3-pointer. The Knights sank their only basket of the quarter at the 4:40 mark, making their deficit 13-20. Rose Nevin put back an offensive rebound. The Knights added their final two points of the period on a pair of free throws with 3:42 left. The Bear Cubs scored two more field goals on Alex Ditizio's drive and Lanie Lincoln's one-handed floater from just below the free throw line to end the half ahead 26-15.

            Again the Bear Cubs started the quarter with a 7-0 run on Ashleigh Barr's 2-footer thanks to Meredith Gilbertson's assist, Gilbertson's two free throws, and Lucca Lowenberg's 3-pointer to open up a 33-15 lead after less than two minutes. Padilla scored on a low post move with 7:47 on the clock. Ciarah Michalik sank a layup after catching Reese Searcy's long pass, and Barr banked in a 3-footer off another assist from Gilbertson, before Creedence Shaver sank a mid-range shot at the 2:44 mark. During the remainder of the period, the Knights make three 3-pointers in a row, while Taylor Iacopi swished her own from above the free throw circle and Alex Ditizio was successful on two consecutive drives. By the end of the period, the Bear Cubs' advantage was 44-28.

            The Bear Cubs began the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run—Reese Searcy's two free throws, her left-handed drive, Ciarah Michalik's 12-footer and her drive, another left-handed drive by Searcy, and one free throw by Rose Nevin—for a 55-28 lead with 4:17 on the clock. Amber Wallace broke the Knights' scoreless streak with a 3-pointer at the 2:52 mark. Taylor Iacopi scored the Bear Cubs' final points on a 3-pointer with 1:18 left. The Knights added another 3-pointer by Wallace and one free throw by Padilla, making the Bear Cubs' winning margin 58-35.

            The Bear Cubs' defense held the Knights to 18 points below their season average of 53.2 ppg. The shot clock ran out once for the Knights and several times got close to running out before they had to force up a shot. Consequently, neither team had the opportunity to attempt as many shots as usual during the course of the game. The Knights' second-leading scorer, Lexi Robbins (10.2 ppg), was unable to play tonight. Isabela Padilla and Amber Wallace each scored 9 points and Kaleia Mizuta 8.

            Only Lucca Lowenberg, who totaled 10 points, reached double figures in points. Reese Searcy scored 9 points, Ciarah Michalik and Ashleigh Barr 8 each, Alex Ditizio and Taylor Iacopi 6 each, Meredith Gilbertson 4, Rose Nevin 3, and Lanie Lincoln and Sheriene Arikat 2 each. Both Ashleigh Barr and Rose Nevin recorded season-highs in rebounds—Barr with 15 and Nevin with 9. Ciarah Michalik passed for 4 assists and Meredith