CLAREMONT, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2022) - Having faced the third-seeded Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens just 10 days prior really helped reduce the amount of time needed to study game film and implement a game plan; yet having to play on the road, coupled with a first-ever conference postseason game, proved a striking difference for an extremely young but passionate Caltech women's basketball team on Tuesday night.

Having lost a nailbiter 56-53 inside the Braun Athletic Center on Feb. 12 even without being at full strength, the Beavers' second-half form in SCIAC play had this matchup far more even than the seeding would have suggested. Unfortunately, it was not Caltech's night as the Beavers' season came to a close in a defensive battle with the Sagehens, 53-43.

With exactly zero Seniors on the roster to celebrate, Caltech ended up the year a program-record 11-14 (6-10 SCIAC). Comparatively, the Sagehens had six seniors on their roster of 13, with nearly 50 percent of the players planning to exhaust their eligibility and graduate at the end of the season.

Early on, the experience of having been around longer and played in more collegiate games, as well as having been to the postseason previously, boded well for the home team. Caltech trailed 12-2 very early on in the contest but quickly found its footing and was impressive in working hard to get back into the contest. By getting stops and converting on possessions, the Beavers climbed back to within a point, trailing 12-11 almost halfway into the first period. Despite this tremendous effort to get back into the game, the Beavers did not score the rest of the way and fell behind at the end of the first quarter, 16-11.

The enthusiasm and effort were palpable to start the second quarter, but unfortunately the Beavers only scored one point, on a made free-throw, in the first 5:30 of the period. The Beavers were able to find limited flow on the offensive end, but the prospects of them finding their form dimmed when they lost point guard, and third-leading scorer, sophomore Hope Arnett (Torrance, Calif. / Chadwick School), to a very hard landing. With two minutes remaining in the second period, the Beavers trailed 28-19 while Arnett would not return for the balance of the game. However, some inspired play by rookie Maria Vazhaeparambil (Saratoga, Calif. / The HarkerSchool) in her stead, as well as the reliable engine and savvy of sophomore Milan Robinson (Anaheim, Calif. / Fairmont Prep), kept the Beavers within striking range throughout the contest.

The teams went into the locker room at halftime with Pomona-Pitzer in front 28-21, and like much of the year, Head Coach Bridgette Reyes was able to motivate her team to get back into the game one possession at a time, doing so at both ends of the floor. For the first 5:30 of quarter three, the Beavers held Pomona-Pitzer to just two points. In fact, the Sagehens would only go on to score nine points in the third quarter, but unfortunately the Beavers could not take advantage, only scoring 10 points themselves in the frame.

But the holding of Pomona-Pitzer in the third allowed the Beavers to get back to within one point again, just more than halfway through the third quarter. Trailing 30-29 on a made basket by junior leading scorer Sahana Saikumar (Arcadia, Calif. / Arcadia) and the subsequent free-throw she made after being fouled while scoring at 4:36 of the third, the Beavers again were unable to capitalize as another scoring droughtled to Pomona-Pitzer stretching things out into the fourth quarter. With 6:11 remaining, the Sagehens had found their biggest lead of the day at 14 points, leading 47-33. In spite of a valiant effort by Caltech's players and staff, the Beavers could get no closer the rest of the way as Pomona-Pitzer advanced in the postseason tournament.

Despite the injury to Arnett, as well as challenging play throughout the game (the Beavers turned it over 25 times versus a season average of 15), Reyes was appreciative of the incredible effort and commitment to team that the group demonstrated throughout the course of the season.

Perhaps even more optimistically, is the fact that the team graduated no seniors in 2021-22, which should make for an odds-on favorite to move up in the conference standings when the 2022-23 season begins later this year. By returning all of its players this next season, the Beavers stand well positioned to benefit from all of the playing time and experience that they gained this season, especially relative to the age of the opposing teams' rosters in the conference.