Friday, November 11
Redlands, CA
7:00 PM
UC Santa Cruz Athletics
0-1
76
at
83
Redlands
1-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Santa Cruz | 41 | 35 | 76 |
| Redlands | 43 | 40 | 83 |
Comeback falls short as UC Santa Cruz drops season opener at Redlands
11/11/2022 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Banana Slugs edged 83-76
REDLANDS- Fighting for their first win in Redlands since 2018, UC Santa Cruz mounted a late comeback but couldn't complete the rally in an 83-76 loss to the Bulldogs in their season opener.
It took the Banana Slugs a while to solve the Redlands press. UC Santa Cruz trailed by as seven early before a 9-0 run gave them a 20-18 lead with 12:45 left in the first half. Redlands responded with a 15-2 run to lead 33-22 with eight minutes left. UC Santa Cruz fought back, and tied it at 39-all on Justin Yasukochi's first career three-pointer. However, Redlands got a rebound and beat the clock to make it 41-39 at halftime.
The Bulldogs kept their lead the entire second half, with their most significant lead at 16 with just over four minutes left. The Banana Slugs rallied and were within six with under a minute after a pair of Avri Finch free throws made it 76-70. Zino Okah then hit an "and-one" to get the Banana Slugs within four at 77-73 in under 30 seconds. However, a technical foul before the inbounds gave Redlands two extra free throws and possession. After Redlands went 3-4 to make the lead seven again, Henry Pikus hit a three to get it within four again at 80-76. Another foul on the inbounds put Redlands back on the line where they went 1-2. The Banana Slugs missed a three-point shot attempt with under ten seconds left, and another Redlands trip to the line sealed the game for the final seven-point margin.
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Redlands won the game at the free-throw line, going 21-34 compared to UC Santa Cruz's 14-18. Okah led UC Santa Cruz with 17 points, including a perfect 5-5 from the line. Finch and Tyler Kessinger each had 15 points, with Finch adding ten rebounds. Pikus had 9 points and a team-high four assists in his UC Santa Cruz debut. The Banana Slugs regroup again to play Chapman Saturday night in Orange.
It took the Banana Slugs a while to solve the Redlands press. UC Santa Cruz trailed by as seven early before a 9-0 run gave them a 20-18 lead with 12:45 left in the first half. Redlands responded with a 15-2 run to lead 33-22 with eight minutes left. UC Santa Cruz fought back, and tied it at 39-all on Justin Yasukochi's first career three-pointer. However, Redlands got a rebound and beat the clock to make it 41-39 at halftime.
The Bulldogs kept their lead the entire second half, with their most significant lead at 16 with just over four minutes left. The Banana Slugs rallied and were within six with under a minute after a pair of Avri Finch free throws made it 76-70. Zino Okah then hit an "and-one" to get the Banana Slugs within four at 77-73 in under 30 seconds. However, a technical foul before the inbounds gave Redlands two extra free throws and possession. After Redlands went 3-4 to make the lead seven again, Henry Pikus hit a three to get it within four again at 80-76. Another foul on the inbounds put Redlands back on the line where they went 1-2. The Banana Slugs missed a three-point shot attempt with under ten seconds left, and another Redlands trip to the line sealed the game for the final seven-point margin.
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Redlands won the game at the free-throw line, going 21-34 compared to UC Santa Cruz's 14-18. Okah led UC Santa Cruz with 17 points, including a perfect 5-5 from the line. Finch and Tyler Kessinger each had 15 points, with Finch adding ten rebounds. Pikus had 9 points and a team-high four assists in his UC Santa Cruz debut. The Banana Slugs regroup again to play Chapman Saturday night in Orange.
Team Stats
UC SANTA
REDLANDS
FG%
.360
.444
3FG%
.333
.240
FT%
.778
.618
RB
42
32
TO
22
18
STL
6
10
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Forward/Center
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
