SANTA CRUZ, CA -- UC Santa Cruz played their second game of the season Monday afternoon at Kaiser Permanente Arena against the University of Redlands. The Banana Slugs won the hotly contested contest 57-55 in overtime. 

Both teams were coming off losses to the University of Dallas. UC Santa Cruz lost to the Crusaders 64-57 on Saturday and the Bulldogs lost 75-73 to the Crusaders in overtime yesterday. 

The game started with the Banana Slugs scoring the first three points of the contest but the Bulldogs would pull even with 16:55 left in the half after a Sean Milligan three point play. The Slugs would then go on a 10-4 run capped by a Tre Weston three point play with 10:04 left in the half. The Slugs would gain their largest lead of the half at seven with 7:37 left, at 21-14, on Kyle Creighton layup. The Bulldogs would trim the Slugs lead and then would take the lead at 25-23 with 4:44 left in the half on an Aljosa Bjekovic jumper. The Banana Slugs would make three free throws and the Bulldogs would make two free throws through the remainder of the half as the Bulldogs would take a 27-26 lead into the halftime intermission.

The Banana Slugs would hit two three pointers to start the second half by Jared Ponce. The Slugs would lead 33-30 with 15:20 left in the second half. The Bulldogs would take the lead with 12:21 left at 36-35 on a Zack Whittet layup. The two teams would trade baskets, and the lead, through the remainder of the half. Milligan was fouled with 1.1 seconds left and missed both free throws that would have given the Bulldogs the lead. James Townsend got the rebound off the second free throw and threw up a full court shot that hit the backboard and the right part of the rim before hitting the floor to send the game into overtime.

The overtime session was a microcosm of the entire game with both teams gaining the lead during the five minute period. The Slugs would go up by four, at 52-48, on a Jared Ponce three pointer with 3:07 left. The Bulldogs would chip away at the lead and then take the lead with twenty three seconds left at 55-54 on a Sean Milligan jumper. Twelve seconds later Jared Ponce would hit the game-winning basket with a three pointer to make the score 57-55. The Bulldogs would miss a layup with two seconds later and the Banana Slugs would win 57-55.

Jared Ponce had a game high twenty two points for the Banana Slugs. Milligan had eighteen points for the Bulldogs. Kyle Creighton had eight points in the win. Bjekovic had a double double with seventeen points and eleven rebounds. 

The Banana Slugs shot 33.9% (20-59) from the field, 33.3% (9-27) from the three point line and was 47.1% (8-17) from the free throw line. The Bulldogs shot 28.6% (16-56) from the field, 20% (4-20) from the three point line and 90.5% (19-21) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced twenty Bulldog turnovers scoring five points off the turnovers while the Bulldogs' defense forced seventeen turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring thirteen points off the turnovers. University of Redlands outrebounded UC Santa Cruz 48-38 but the Banana Slugs had eight more points (17-9) off the bench than did the Bulldogs.