THOUSAND OAKS, CA -- California Lutheran had seven steals in the second half and outscored the Banana Slugs 14-9 in overtime to beat UC Santa Cruz in overtime 72-67. Today's game was the first of a three game Southern California road swing for the Banana Slugs. 

UC Santa Cruz was coming off a 72-47 loss to Calvin College on Tuesday in Santa Cruz. California Lutheran was coming off a 78-67 win over Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma on Sunday. 

The game started with UC Santa Cruz getting a hot start scoring the first five points of the game on a Sarah Fitzgerald three pointer and a Leah Parrish jumper. The Banana Slugs would take their largest lead of the game at nine on six occasions; the third coming with 6:59 left in the half on a Sarah Mackey jumper to make the score 21-12. The Regals would then go on a 10-2 run capped by a Trianna Owen three pointer to make score 23-22 with 4:52 remaining in the half. The Banana Slugs would outscore the Regals 7-5 over the remaining time in the half to take a 30-27 lead into the halftime break.

The Regals would claw their way back into the ballgame in the second half and took the lead at 36-35 with 16:00 left on a Chelsea Jacoby jumper. The Banana Slugs would match their biggest lead of the ballgame on three occasions during the second half; the third occasion coming with 5:48 left on a Mackey free throw to make the score 53-44. The Regals would then get back into the game using a 14-5 run capped by two Jacoby free throws with thirteen seconds left to tie the game at 58-58. Geena Giovannetti's layup with one second left was blocked by Jacoby and the game went into overtime.

In the extra frame, Haley Hodgon and Jacoby scored all of the Regals' fourteen points in the extra frame as the Regals pulled away. On two separate occasions the Banana Slugs came within two; the second occasion came with fifty five seconds left on a Parrish jumper to cut the Regals' lead to 68-66. The Regals would add four throws down the stretch as the Regals won 72-67. The loss is the second in a row for the Banana Slugs.  

Genna Giovannetti had a double double with twenty points and eleven rebounds for the Banana Slugs. Jacoby had a game high twenty eight points for the Regals. Parrish and Mackey both had double doubles for the Banana Slugs with Parrish scoring eighteen points and pulling down fourteen rebounds and Mackey scoring fourteen points and grabbing ten rebounds in the loss. Jessica Salottolo had sixteen points and Hodgson had twelve, off the bench, for the Regals. 

The Banana Slugs shot 31.1% (19-61) from the field, 31.2% (5-16) from the three point line and was 64.9% (24-37) from the free throw line. The Regals shot 47.4% (27-57) from the field, 36.4% (4-11) from the three point line and 66.7% (14-21) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced sixteen Regals turnovers scoring thirteen points off the turnovers while the Regals' defense forced eighteen turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring fourteen points off the turnovers. UC Santa Cruz outrebounded California Lutheran 49-37 but the Regals had twenty two more points in the paint (32-10) than did the Banana Slugs. 

The Banana Slugs will now have two days to regroup. The Banana Slugs' next game is Monday as they will take on NAIA Division II member La Sierra University in Whittier. The game is a part of the Purple and Gold Poet Classic hosted by Whittier College. Tipoff is set for 2 pm.