REDLANDS, CA — Alyssa Smith recorded her eleventh double-double of the season and Marissa Howell scored 27 points as the University of La Verne women's basketball team defeated the University of Redlands Bulldogs 78-69 in a SCIAC matchup on Wednesday night.

Smith's double-double included 16 points and 15 rebounds while Christen Ziska posted fifteen points. Jasmine Prajitno added seven points to the Leopards' final score while Jossy Calizo collected seven rebounds.

Howell was at her sharpest in the first quarter, making three three-pointers out of five attempts and helping the Leopards take a quick 19-12 lead.

La Verne outscored the Bulldogs 21-18 in the second quarter to take a 10-point, 40-30 lead at halftime. Redlands entered the third quarter with a comeback mindset, chipped away at the Leopards' lead, outscored La Verne 24-18, and narrowed the Leopards' lead to 58-54.

In the final ten minutes of play, La Verne's offense and defense honed their skills, hoping to maintain their lead. Smith secured five of her 15 rebounds in the fourth quarter and Ziska scored nine points during the period. The Leopards put up 20 points and held the Bulldogs to 15, securing the win 78-69.

Redlands was powered by Alex Facelo who scored 18 points. AJ Wick grabbed 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs while Colbi Zorich contributed 13 points.

The Leopards (4-10 SCIAC, 7-15 overall) will look to continue their winning streak when they host the Caltech Beavers this Saturday at 2 p.m.