LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Macalester College women's basketball team began the Caltech-Oxy Classic with a 58-50 win over Caltech Friday afternoon at Occidental College's Rush Gym. The victory gives the Scots a 3-1 record on the season, while the Beavers fall to 0-3.
Three-pointers by junior forward
Leah Gray (San Rafael, Calif./Branson School) and first year guard
Holly Hull (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) helped Macalester take a 12-7 lead after one quarter. In the second quarter, Caltech outscored the Scots, 17-14 to make the score 26-24 at the half. Both teams struggled from the field, as Macalester shot 32.4 percent compared to 28.6 percent for the Beavers in the game's first 20 minutes.
The Scots never surrendered the lead but never led by more than four points in the third quarter. Sophomore guard
Katie Grahn (Woodland, Calif./David) hit a three and scored five points in the quarter, as Macalester maintained its two-point edge, 40-38 heading into the final quarter.
A pair of layups by Caltech's Kate Lewis sandwiched around a basket by junior forward
Regan Fruh (Helena, Mont./Helena) tied the score at 42-42 with eight minutes to play. Over the next six minutes, the Scots would finally put some distance between them and their opponent, reeling off a 14-4 run to take a 56-46 advantage with two minutes remaining. Senior forward
Park Masterson (Poway, Calif./Poway) scored six points in the run that also included Gray's third three-pointer of the game. Caltech came as close as six the rest of the way, but it was not enough to prevent Macalester from earning its third win of the season.
Fruh notched her second double-double of the year with 13 points and 13 rebounds, including eight caroms on the offensive glass. Her performance helped the Scots out-rebound the Beavers, 51-31 for the game. Gray finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Masterson added 10 points and seven boards. Hull had the best game of her career thus far with nine points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes. Lewis and Samantha D'Costa led Caltech with 14 points apiece.
Macalester wraps up its California trip with the second game of the Caltech-Oxy Fall Classic, facing Occidental College on Saturday, Nov. 26. The game starts at 3:00 p.m. Central at Caltech in Pasadena, Calif.
