REDLANDS, Calif. -
Korin Baker delivered a monster performance with 25 points and 16 rebounds to guide the No. 23 Whitman College women's basketball team to a 68-49 win at Redlands in the first of a four-game road trip on Friday night.
Baker shot an efficient 10-14 for the Blues (2-1) and Sydney Abbott stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block. Whitman dominated the paint to the tune of a 38-14 rebound advantage and also capitalized on 19 Bulldog turnovers, particularly in the fourth quarter where they scored 12 fastbreak points.
Alyssa Downs scored a team-high 15 points for Redlands with Hannah Jerrier adding eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The opening quarter saw Baker and Elena McHargue both score back-to-back buckets to push the Blues ahead by three at the quarter's end. The Blues closed the quarter on a 7-2 run and took that lead into the second quarter.
Whitman continued to lead a tight contest until Carly Martin's three pointer put her team ahead 21-17 with 5:25 to play. Abbott and Lindsay Drango added a pair of buckets, Martin drained another three and Whitman led 30-22 with 2:15 to play until halftime. Natalie Lundberg converted an and-one three-point play to give the Blues their largest lead of 11 points with under a minute remaining.
Downs converted a three pointer early in the third quarter to make it a three-point game at 36-33, but the Blues continued to lead. Baker scored on three straight possessions and Kalia Coverson scored two straight buckets at the end of the period and Whitman led by 11 heading to the fourth.
The Blues will remain in Redlands and play Chapman in a neutral site game on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 5:00 p.m.
