Photo by: Justin Hyon, Caltech Yearbook

PASADENA, Calif. (Nov. 28, 2021) – After falling behind by 11 points midway through the second quarter, Caltech had the last word after a huge second half turnaround to defeat Pacific (Ore.) University on Sunday afternoon.

The visiting Boxers put up a huge fight, starting the game with a 7-0 run and a 21-15 first quarter score, but freshman Kathryn Edwards (Centennial, Colo. / Arapahoe) kept the game within reach by scoring seven points in the opening frame.

Pacific opened the second quarter with a three and after some back-and-forth play had racked up its biggest lead yet with 4:51 to go, capitalizing on some turnovers. Caltech never let up, though, and kept pace with the Boxers at a 14-14 second quarter score to trail by just six at the half, 35-29.

Head Coach Bridgette Reyes said her goal in the second half was to take great shots with patience and persistence and to compete on defense, winning 50/50 balls and not losing focus. The team's halftime adjustments certainly worked, as the Beavers shot 53.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the three-point arc.

It was Caltech's possession arrow at the start of the third quarter and sophomore Hope Arnett (Torrance, Calif. / Chadwick School) wasted no time in mounting a comeback, splashing a three just 11 seconds into the period. Edwards followed up with another triple to tie the game at 35-35. Junior Sahana Saikumar (Arcadia, Calif. / Arcadia) impacted the game significantly in her much-awaited return, finishing the third quarter with a 5-0 run including a three-point play to cut Pacific's lead to just one point at 47-46 at the final intermission. She was one of three Beavers scoring double figures in the game, with 16 points as well as a game-high four blocks.

Arnett sunk a layup in the first minute of the fourth quarter to take the lead for the Beavers, the first of seven lead changes in the quarter. Saikumar followed up with a jumper less than a minute later, but then an 8-0 run by Pacific put them up 55-50. Edwards lifted in a pair of layups to bring Caltech back within a point and sophomore Claire Zhang (Medford, N.J. / Lenape) briefly tied it at 56-56, drawing a foul on a successful layup. She sank her ensuing free throw to complete the old-fashioned three-pointer and Caltech suddenly led 57-56 with 2:43 left on the clock.

After trading layups with the Beavers, the Boxers held a one-point margin (60-59) with just six seconds to go, forcing Caltech to call its final timeout. Three seconds later, junior Faith Pinney (Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Preparatory School) found a wide-open Hope Arnett, who swished a beautiful three-point shot, sending her team and the crowd into a frenzy. Pacific called timeout to advance the ball, but the Beavers' relentless defense forced an air ball out of the guests' buzzer-beater attempt, and that was the ball game.

Arnett noted after the game that, while she was aware of the time pressure and risk of taking a three with just a one-point margin, it was a look she felt confident she could make.

"I kept a calm mind and committed to taking the shot because I shoot best when I don't overthink, and let my muscle memory do the work," Arnett said.

Arnett finished with 20 points in her clutch performance and Edwards racked up a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds. Pinney was the playmaker of the day for the Beavers with her team-high four assists.

While Pacific led in points in the paint, off turnovers, off fast breaks, off the bench and after offensive rebounds, Caltech crucially had higher shooting percentages in all categories. Coach Reyes attributed this to the Beavers' resilience and keeping their energy up.

"That led to positive morale and defensive aggression that helped us stop their offensive rhythm," Reyes said. "We also did a good job managing the pace on offense to set ourselves up for our best shots."

The Beavers' next home game is Wednesday, Dec. 1 at home in the SCIAC opener against Chapman University.