WOMENS BASKETBALL: Lady Slugs Overpower Bethany University

Score: UC Santa Cruz 61, Bethany University 43

The Star: Junior Guard Alison Scarbrough, who shot 7-for-14 from the field and finished with 23 points and seven rebounds.

The Turning Point: The Lady Slugs shot out to a 12-0 lead in the first half, behind two three-pointers from Junior Guard Danielle Mofsowitz and never looked back. They would have a double-digit lead for the rest of the game.

The Quote: "I try and stay positive and lead by example. I try to come in and get good looks, and take baby steps to win the game." —Junior guard Alison Scarbrough on how she provided leadership in Tuesday night's win.

What's Next? UC Santa Cruz will face Pomona-Pitzer in round one of the Claremont Tournament in Claremont on Friday at 5 p.m. Bethany University will take on Pomona Pitzer in round one of the Oregon Tech Classic in Klamath Falls, OR, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Bottom Line: The Lady Slugs were a step ahead of the Lady Bruins the entire game. UC Santa Cruz's fast-paced play wore out Bethany University, which created opportunities for open shots on the perimeter and down low in the post.

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The UC Santa Cruz Women's basketball team won local bragging rights Tuesday night as the Lady Slugs heartily defeated a winless Bethany University-Scotts Valley 61-43 in front of a packed West Field House Gym.

The NCAA Division III team stayed a step ahead of the Lady Bruins for the entire game with its fast-paced style of offense, which included constant ball movement and shots from the perimeter.

The Slugs were led by junior guard Alison Scarbrough, who shot 7-for-14 from the field and had 23 points and seven rebounds.

Scarbrough and her team jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first half and didn't look back.

"We were just patient from the get-go," Scarbrough said. "We tried to stay under control."

The third-year guard said she tried to show leadership to get her team through the night with a solid showing.

"I try and stay positive and lead by example." said Scarbrough. "I try to come in and get good looks, and take baby steps to win the game."

Another UC Santa Cruz scorer was junior guard Danielle Mofsowitz, who had 16 points and four three-point field goals.

Mofsowitz credited her play from recognizing Bethany's zone defense and getting to an open spot on the perimeter to take a shot.

"I feel I really executed what we learned in practice," Mofsowitz said. "This was the first game of the season we were playing against a zone defense. I knew what to look for."

UC Santa Cruz head coach Todd Kent said he was proud of Scarbrough and Mofsowitz and was not too surprised by the performance of his two juniors in Tuesday night's win.

"They played like upper-classmen" said Kent. "They played like composed athletes who have been there before. For the team, we focused on patience. We knew we were going to be against a match-zone defense."

The Lady Bruins tried stage a late-game comeback when they went on a 5-0 run and trailed by 10 with just under 12 minutes left in the game.

That would be the closest Bethany College would get to close the scoring gap as the Lady Slugs rushed back down the court with a three-point field goal from Scarbrough.

Bethany scoring was led by freshman forward Ayana MacShate, who had 11 points and five rebounds.

MacShate said she was successful in getting to the basket by taking advantage of opportunities to power her way inside.

"I was just trying to get down to the post and post up," MacShate said. "I tried to get my team involved and keep moving."

Bethany University will move its hopes of getting its first win of the season toward a later date as it faces Pomona College in round one of the Oregon Tech Classic tournament in Klamath Falls, OR, on Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Santa Cruz will take its bragging rights and try to keep its winning streak alive as the team travels to Claremont Friday for a 5 p.m. showdown in round one of the Claremont Classic against the Lady Sagehens of Pomona College.

As for Kent, his goals for his team are simple.

"We are playing Division III teams coming up," Kent said. "Any Division III game, you have to win."