LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2010) - The 2010 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament championship game was a night filled with big plays.  The third meeting between the University of Redlands and the Tigers was marked with great defense that resulted in both teams shooting under 35% from the field, putting each possession under intense scrutiny, as every score put each team one step closer to an NCAA tournament berth.  It took overtime to finally decide a winner, and the Bulldogs got the better of this match up, escaping Rush Gymnasium with a 55-54 victory.

Oxy struggled to find a rhythm early, except for Stephanie Babij, who kept the Tigers in the game with a 15 point first half performance. 

Babij cut the lead to two with a jumper from the short corner with just over three minutes to play, but Redlands responded with a 6-2 run to end the half.  The six point halftime lead was the biggest either team enjoyed during the first 20 minutes.

The Tigers trailed 29-23, but had done a good job defending Courtney Carroll, limiting her touches and making it difficult for her to get off a clean shot.  But the Bulldogs adjusted to the interior pressure, finding Ali Bueno around the perimeter for three first half triples.

The second half was more of the same, after the Tigers evaporated an early eight point deficit, the lead was exchanged three more times with six ties. 

Makenzie Brandon had a huge final half, scoring nine points, on a perfect 4-4 from the field.  It seemed as if everytime the Tigers needed a score, Brandon would respond.  After the teams traded baskets for over six minutes, she scored on back to back possessions, cleaning the glass on a missed three pointer by Babij and off a nice feed from Britinee Yasukochi. 

Redlands responded, and with the score tied at 44-44, Babij's number was called, but not for a post up but for a pop out 3 pointer off a screen the screener play.  She stepped back off the screen and fired without hesitation.  Finding nothing but the bottom of the net, and showing how she was now an inside and outside threat. 

The three point lead held up until Mariah Barbetti-Cort scored inside with just 43 seconds left. 

Dior Williams was then fouled, as the shot clock had been turned off, leaving Redlands only one way to get the ball back.  Williams calmly sank both freethrows, and the Black and Orange were just seconds away from punching their ticket to the dance, up by three again.

The Bulldogs inbounded and came out intent on taking a three, as the guards never looked inside, finally freeing Bueno who launched up a high arcing shot.  Ripping the net and tying this game for the tenth time and after a Yasukochi miss as time expired, the Bulldogs and Tigers would need five more minutes to decide a tournament champion.

Unfortunately for Oxy, the momentum had put on a Bulldog uniform, as they went cold from the floor for almost four minutes as Redlands stretched to a six point lead.

The Tigers had one more comeback in them, and as the capacity Oxy crowd rose to their feet, Babij led the charge.  Breaking the cold streak with two freethrows, and then a turnover by Allison Wong, gave the Tigers life.

Babij once again found herself outside the three point line, and once more she let it fly, but this shot seemed to bounce off every part of the rim and backboard, but most importantly found the bottom of the net. 

The lead now down to one, and a missed freethrow on the front end of a one and one by Redlands set up a dramatic final sequence. 

With no timeouts Brandon quickly found Yasukochi who brought the ball up her sideline, looking to Head Coach Heidi VanDerveer yelling "Sacramento", and the team quickly organized on the floor.

Gillian Nugent was spotting up in the left corner, Yasukochi dribbled off a staggered screen, handing off to Nugent who drove back to the middle of the floor.

Nugent had come up big time and time again throughout her career, but found herself in the unenviable position of the clock showing less than two seconds remaining with two Bulldogs draped on her as she drove.  Nugent still found some daylight and raised up from 12 feet dead center, and fired up a jumper, that was straight as an arrow.

But just short, as she had to arc it a little higher to avoid the defense, and as the buzzer sounded reality set in as the Bulldogs realized that they had just won the 2010 SCIAC tournament title.  While the Tigers walked off stunned, left only to hope that Monday would bring an at large bid to the tournament, and that tonight would not be the final time they would suit up for the 2009-2010 season.

If the Tigers (21-5, 12-2) have played for the final time this season, they sent out a senior class the same way they came in, clawing and fighting on every possession.  Even though they fell short tonight, this class has been part of three SCIAC regular season championships and the first NCAA tournament berth in program history. 

The senior class consists of Dior Williams, Brittany Mally, Britinee Yasukochi, Natalie Kolodinski, Samantha Rossi, and Gillian Nugent. 

The Tigers will return three starters and return nine total letter winners for the 2010-2011 season.

Article by Mike Talamantes, Sports Information Assistant