PASADENA, Calif. — The Caltech women's basketball team improved to a perfect 3-0 record on Sunday as the Beavers topped the University of California, Santa Cruz, 66-56, in an afternoon Braun Gymnasium clash.

It was an exceptional performance for head coach Annie Tarakchian's squad, who have now scored at least 66 points in three straight games. The team went 9-for-16 (.563) from the 3-point line en route to their 10-point victory; they did not let up more than a two-point lead throughout the entirety of the contest.

Senior guard-forward Kathryn Edwards (Centennial, Colo. / Arapahoe) and senior guard Kodie Vondra (Livingston, Mont. / Park) led the team on both ends, with Edwards scoring a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, going 2-for-4 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free throw line. The senior nabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to collect her first double-double of the season in addition to dishing out three assists and recording three steals and a block.

Vondra put up a dominant stat line herself, scoring 19 points on an incredibly efficient 7-for-12 shooting; the sharpshooter was lethal from behind the arc, going 5-for-7 to lead all players from both teams in made 3-pointers. She tied for the game-high in assists, with four, and brought down seven rebounds.

The standout continued to show out on the defensive end, recording a game-high four steals and blocking one shot to continue an exceptional defensive start to the season. Vondra has now totaled 14 steals, 10 defensive boards and two blocks across the first three games. For her noteworthy defensive statistics and exceptional on-ball defense over these games, the conference awarded Vondra SCIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Athlete of the Week honors on Monday.

Sunday's contest began just after 2 p.m. and it was UC Santa Cruz who scored the first two points, but Caltech responded with a 14-4 run to go up 14-6 by the 2:54 mark of the opening quarter. The Beavers held an 8-point lead at halftime.

Santa Cruz found some rhythm in the third period, briefly taking a 2-point lead, but Caltech again answered with another 14-4 run to go up 46-38 at the end of three quarters.

The opponents cut the lead to two possessions in the final period but a massive layup by Edwards put the hosts back up eight. The star made another layup through traffic moments later to put the Beavers up 55-45; the team sustained their lead as time expired, taking the 66-56 win.

Caltech outshot the Banana Slugs, shooting .429 from the field to .404 from the visitors. The Beavers not only shot .563 on threes (9-for-16), but held the guests to just .286 from deep (6-for-21); they brought down 39 rebounds to the Banana Slugs' 27. The group scored 18 points off opponent turnovers; Caltech did not lose a single quarter.

Rookie guard Kyra Phaychanpheng (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills) added nine points after a 4-for-11 afternoon from the field and sinking one free throw. The Beaver brought down three rebounds and nabbed one steal.

First-year center Louise Scriven (Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand / Paraparaumu College) scored five points in five minutes after making a two-pointer and her first career collegiate 3-pointer in her first-ever attempt.

Four other Beavers scored three or more points to help Caltech to victory.

Vondra was proud of how the team competed across all four quarters.

"I feel like this is the most cohesive we've been and our intensity is definitely what put us through the roof," Vondra said on the win. "We're a young team, so as we get to know our own teammates better, the better we'll do."

Next up for Tarakchian and the roster is another home contest as they welcome the Whitworth University Pirates for a 2 p.m. matchup this Saturday, Nov. 23 at Braun Gymnasium. Cheer on the team in person and follow along online at GoCaltech.com/Coverage.

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