Willamette can't hang with Redlands

REDLANDS, Calif. — Willamette University fell to the University of Redlands 117-78 on Thursday night at Currier Gym. The Bearcats' effort was highlighted by a second-half surge, scoring 53 points, but the Bulldogs maintained control with a 40-point lead midway through the second half. Willamette's defense recorded 14 steals, yet the team struggled with possession, committing 33 turnovers.

In the first half, Redlands built a commanding lead by converting 10 of their 27 3-point attempts while Willamette struggled with turnovers, committing 17. Redlands capitalized on Willamette's mistakes, scoring 18 points off turnovers and maintaining a plus-eight rebounding margin. Despite Willamette's 18 points in the paint, Redlands' bench contributed 24 points, bolstering their substantial 59-25 advantage at the end of the half.

Willamette struggled to contain Redlands' offense, allowing a significant lead to develop by the 14:16 mark of the second half. Despite this, the Bearcats managed to produce 53 points in the half, powered in part by 3-point shooting, as they converted six of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. However, turnovers proved costly for Willamette, as they committed 16 turnovers, leading to 16 points for the Bulldogs. At the end of the half, the score stood at 115-78 in favor of Redlands.

The Bearcats hold a record of 2-2 following their recent loss. The Bulldogs remain undefeated with a 5-0 record after their victory.

In their next game, Willamette will head to Claremont, California, to face Claremont Mudds Scripts College on Saturday, Nov. 22. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.