WINCHESTER – The third-ranked Umpqua Community College women’s basketball team answered the call in an 83-65 win over Southwestern Oregon on Wednesday night. The RiverHawks picked up their tenth consecutive win and moved into a tie for first with the Lane Titans in the South Region standings.
Sophomore Taylor Stricklin scored 27 points to lead the RiverHawks. She drained four 3-pointers and reached a career milestone in the win.
Stricklin now has 101 made 3-pointers this season and joined UCC alumnus Kristi Fallin as the only RiverHawks to make over 100 3-pointers in a single season.
“It’s kind of weird,” Stricklin said of her accomplishment. “I’m passing girls that were my idols. I grew up watching them.”
Taylor, daughter of Umpqua head coach Dave Stricklin, has spent most of her life on the UCC campus watching and learning basketball from past generations.
“I adore Krisit (Fallin),” said the younger Stricklin. “I don’t know if she knows this, but I try to be like her.”
Fallin sank 118 3-pointers during the 2008-09 season. That mark is within reach for Stricklin. So is Fallin’s career record of 208 made threes. Stricklin has made 174 shots from behind the arch in her career and has five games left in her final regular season at UCC.
The RiverHawks started sluggish from long-range against Lakers Wednesday. Umpqua was just 1-of-7 from 3-point range in the first quarter and shot under 40-percent from the floor, leading to a 19-18 lead for SWOCC after the first 10 minutes.
Umpqua (21-3; 10-1 NWAC South) came alive in the second period and outscored Southwestern Oregon (7-16; 2-10 South) 24-10 to head into halftime leading 42-29.
The RiverHawks pulled ahead by as many as 21 points in the second half and kept the lead in double figures.
Cielo Gonzalez chipped in 15 points for UCC in 24 minutes off the bench. Grace Campbell added 12 points and nine rebounds.
Jessica Petersen led the SWOCC women with 20 points and six rebounds.
The UCC women will head on the road for their next two league games, as they close in on a postseason berth and a possible South Region championship. Up next, the RiverHawks will square off with fourth-place Clackamas (11-9; 7-4 South) on Saturday.
SW OREGON (65) – Jessica Petersen 7-14 6-8 20, Ramelow 6-15 2-2 15, Holloman 2-3 2-2 8, Aotaki 2-7 0-0 6, Bell 2-6 2-4 6, Neff 3-11 0-0 6, Pearce 2-8 0-0 4, Baker 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 12-16 65
UMPQUA (83) – Taylor Stricklin 10-21 3-3 27, Gonzalez 4-10 4-6 15, Campbell 5-7 1-2 12, Reinen 4-6 0-0 8, Woodard 3-8 0-0 6, Riggle 2-4 1-2 5, Mitchell 1-10 2-2 4, Ricon 1-2 0-0 2, Gilbert 1-1 0-0 2, Ortiz 1-3 0-0 2, Maddern 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-72 11-15 83.
SW OREGON; 19;10;21;15; – ;65
UMPQUA; 18;24;22;19; – ;83
3-point Goals – SWOCC 5-12 (Aotaki 2, Holloman 2, Ramelow). UCC 8-25 (Stricklin 4, Gonzalez 3, Campbell). Total Fouls – SWOCC 14. UCC 19. Foul Outs – Riggle, Reinen. Rebounds – SWOCC 28 (Holloman, Petersen 6). UCC 44 (Mitchell, Campbell 9). Assists – SWOCC 13 (Bell 5). UCC 18 (Campbell 4). Turnovers – SWOCC 11. UCC 11.