On Wednesday, the 10-seeded Bear Cubs (18-10) hosted the 23-seeded Mission College Saints (18-10) in the opening round of the CCCAA NorCal Regional Playoffs. Both teams came out firing from the field. Reese Searcy got the Bear Cubs on the scoreboard in the opening possession. After five straight points by Mission, Lucca Lowenberg evened the score on a spinning layup. The Saints went on another quick 5-0 run before Maycee Hunter ended it by splitting a pair of free throws. Mission made a layup on their next possession, making the score 12-6 with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter. Over the next minute and a half, the Bear Cubs went on a 9-0 run, taking a 15-12 lead via four points by Meredith Gilbertson, two from Hunter, and a three-pointer by Lowenberg. The frantic pace continued as Mission cut the deficit to one point before Santa Rosa scored on their next two possessions with layups from Lowenberg and Gilbertson. After a Mission made basket, Santa Rosa stretched their lead out to ten points with four straight points by Searcy and a three-pointer by Lowenberg. At the 1:25 mark, the Bear Cubs lead 26-16. The Saints ended the quarter by scoring four points. After one, the score was 26-20 in favor of the Bear Cubs, with Lowenberg's 10 points leading the way in the scoring column.
On Santa Rosa's possession of the second quarter, Hannah Webb connected from three-point range, 29-20. The Saints made a three-point basket with 6:52 before halftime, keeping the game close. Over the next six minutes, the Bear Cubs took full control of the game by scoring eight unanswered points (four points from Ivy Gonzalez and two points apiece by Searcy and Lowenberg. A Saints two-point shot made the score 37-25 before Gonzalez's nifty post-move pushed the lead back out to 14. After a Saints free throw, Lowenberg hit an open three-pointer, her third three-pointer of the game. The Bear Cubs headed into the locker room with a 42-26 halftime lead. Santa Rosa's defense allowed just six points in the second quarter.
Like the previous two quarters, the Bear Cubs scored on their opening possession, this time, on a layup by Gilbertson. The Saints responded with a basket, but they could not stop Lowenberg from making her fourth three-pointer of the night, as the Bear Cubs led 47-28 at the 8:28 mark. Gonzalez got Santa Rosa to the 50-point mark early in the third quarter with a three-pointer from the corner. A converted and-one play by Gilbertson and a put-back layup by Gonzalez gave the Bear Cubs a 55-28 lead. Gonzalez continued her third-quarter dominance by scoring another basket on a strong post-move. Praise Nigimar hit a three-pointer after a Mission two-pointer, making the score 60-30. The Saints split a pair of free throws in the final minute, making the score 60-31. The Bear Cubs again had stellar defense throughout the entire quarter, surrendering just five points.
With the game in hand, Coach Campbell spent most of the fourth quarter giving her bench valuable playing time. JJ Martinez opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer. The Saints responded with a basket, making the score 63-33. Over the next three minutes, the Bear Cubs went on a 9-0 run via layups from Martinez and Gilbertson, a three-pointer by Maya Salas, and a jumper by Lowenberg. A quick 5-0 response by the Saints was countered with a jumper by Cece Solano with 5:47 remaining. In the last few minutes, Solano scored four points, while Martinez, Webb, and Nigimar each added two points.
After allowing twenty points in the first quarter, the Bear Cubs allowed just twenty-eight points for the rest of the game. Santa Rosa shot 44.4% (32-72), 40% (10-25) from three-point range, and 10-15 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Lucca Lowenberg led Santa Rosa with 20 points, while Meredith Gilbertson and Ivy Gonzalez both had 13 points. Ten of the twelve Bear Cubs who played scored.
The Bear Cubs won 84-48, advancing to the second round of the CCCAA NorCal Regional Playoffs. Santa Rosa now travels to travel to face the College of The Sequoias Giants on Saturday, March 2nd.