LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Women's basketball dropped another close contest, this one a 57-53 loss to Linfield on Monday, November 18 at Rush Gym.
 
The Tigers celebrated their 2023-24 SCIAC Championship prior to tip-off, as the returners and graduating class received their rings.
 
After that it was straight to work for the Tigers who trailed early, but worked back to take the lead late in the first quarter. The Wildcats fought hard in the final three minutes of the frame to play to a 15-15 draw heading into the second quarter.
 
A hard-fought battle was the name of the game on both sides as they went back-and-forth with each other all night.
 
The Tigers trailed by as many as seven late in the third but worked to a four-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter. Dominique Cabading hit a huge three, drawing a foul and converted the four-point play in the process. At that point, the Tigers were down two and couldn't reach the turning point in the contest.
 
That came at the beginning of the fourth when Oxy rattled off a 10-2, capped off by a pair of Ainsley Shelsta free throws – the center tallied a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards on the night.
 
Linfield strung off a 5-0 run of its own to regain the lead, but the Tigers weren't done, hitting a few clutches free throws and getting lucky on the other end with some Wildcat misses at the line. In their final offensive possession, the Tigers worked Paige Yasukochi open in the corner, but the would-be game-tying three rimmed out.
 
Linfield hit two free throws to ice it and stole a victory on the celebratory night for the Tigers.
 
By the Numbers
 
The Tigers bench was outscored 9-0 and the Wildcats held a hefty advantage off turnovers, scoring 18 to the Tigers 10. Oxy also let the Wildcats thrive in the open floor with 14 fast break points to the Tigers' five.
 
There were 14 lead changes in this one and the score was at a stalemate on seven occasions.
 
Shelsta, Yasukochi and Cabading were the only Tigers in double figures with 16, 12 and 10 points respectively. Oxy only mustered one steal, but gathered six blocks – Michelle Lagunas-Monroy led with three.
 
Up Next
 
The Tigers host La Verne in the SCIAC opener on Thursday, November 21. The last time these two met was in the SCIAC semis. The Tigers won that game 76-70.