Photo: Shu Fay Ung

PASADENA (Feb. 22, 2020) – The Caltech women's basketball team went out on its shield on Saturday afternoon, playing in perhaps the greatest women's basketball game ever held in Braun Gymnasium. The Beavers came up short in a war of attrition with Chapman University, one that spanned three overtime periods and a heap of exciting moments.

"Our goal was to leave everything on the court," Head Coach Bridgette Reyes said, "And we did that for the entire 55 minutes. Our seniors were incredible."

Senior Alexa Lauinger (Ortonville, Mich. / Brandon) went out in style, playing the best game of her career and showcasing all she has learned under Reyes and her staff. The forward opened the game with a deep shot from the top of the key and never looked back. She finished the game with a whopping 25 points and 21 rebounds for the program's first 20-20 game since former teammate Elizabeth Eiden '19 accomplished the feat last year. Lauinger does, however, now hold the distinction of being the first Caltech player to have a 20-20 game against an NCAA opponent. 

Classmate Grace Peng (San Ramon, Calif. / California) also went out with a huge game. The senior scored 21 points and, thanks to a pair of first-half free throws, broke the single-season scoring record previously held by another former teammate in Kate Lewis '17. Peng now owns the single-season and career scoring records, and nearly claimed the single-game record earlier in the season. On Saturday, the senior did most of her damage from the free throw line but also posted a sound all-around line with five assists, four rebounds and three steals. As the program's all-time leading passer (256 assists), Peng will go down as the Beavers' greatest point guard to date and arguably the greatest player in team history.

In addition to its seniors, Caltech also got strong games out of freshmen Sahana Saikumar (Arcadia, Calif. / Arcadia), Helen Siavelis (Arlington Heights, Ill. / Prospect) and junior Lauren Suezaki (San Ramon, Calif. / California). Suezaki returned to the lineup with a newfound scoring touch as her 15 points propelled the Beavers, particularly in the overtime periods when they needed a run to keep pace with the Panthers, a SCIAC playoff team from a year ago. Saikumar, meanwhile, double-doubled with 18 points and 15 rebounds while Siavelis had a career-best six assists. Freshman Charley Lafayette (Toronto, Ontario, Can. / Branksome Hall) chipped in a key four points and four rebounds off the bench. 

Caltech gave its fans hope with a 25-point second quarter and made clear to everyone in attendance they would not be going down without a fight. The Beavers later followed up with an equally important fourth quarter that brought them within one possession with four seconds remaining. Following a Peng miss from deep that would have sent the Panthers packing, Lauinger seized the moment, scooped up the offensive rebound and put in the game-tying layup as time expired. Three overtimes ensued with both teams having to balance time management and foul management with the action on the court. Eventually, the fouls began to catch up with the Beavers; after Saikumar fouled out, the Panthers inched their way toward a win and sealed things in the third overtime period, but not before the Beavers made good on an opportunity to show the fans what they're all about, earning themselves several opportunities to win the game over the course of the extra 15 minutes.

"Our team has been through a lot of adversity and tonight we really proved how resilient and gritty we are," Reyes said. "Sahana dealt with an injury but pushed through up to her very last minute. Tonight was also Lauren's first game back and she gave us a career-high. Nights like tonight are exactly how you want to end the season."

Reyes and the Beavers wrap up the 2019-20 season with two SCIAC wins in hand, along with a slew of individual records as previously noted. Saikumar, meanwhile, will carry the momentum of one of the best freshman seasons the program has ever seen into next year, and along with Siavelis and freshman guard Faith Pinney (Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Preparatory School) will make up the core of Caltech women's basketball for years to come.

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