ATHERTON, CA – In a thrilling pre-Thanksgiving matchup, Menlo Women's Basketball treated fans to a feast of excitement, defeating the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs 75-66 inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion on Tuesday afternoon. With an energetic crowd in attendance, the Oaks showcased resilience and determination, closing out their final game before the holiday with an impressive fourth-quarter surge.

Game Standouts

Several Oaks shined during the game, contributing to a strong team performance:

• Mehkia Applewhite -  led the charge with a game-high 22 points, shooting an efficient 10-of-16 from the field and adding 6 rebounds in 34 minutes of action.

• Alberte Frisch -  recorded 20 points, including a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, while adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

• Aliya Hunter - provided a spark with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including two three-pointers in 23 minutes.

• Jordyn Rosette - displayed all-around effort, contributing 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, while also blocking a shot.

• Taylor Westbrook - chipped in with key plays off the bench, scoring 7 points and grabbing 2 rebounds in just 12 minutes.

A Game of Runs and Resilience

The game saw back-and-forth momentum, but Menlo's consistency and discipline sealed the win. The Oaks shot 45% from the field (27-of-60) compared to UC Santa Cruz's 47% (26-of-55), but it was Menlo's ability to capitalize on opportunities that made the difference. The Oaks converted 17 points off turnovers, forcing 12 miscues from the Banana Slugs, while committing only 7 turnovers themselves.

Menlo also dominated the free-throw line, hitting 17-of-19 attempts, a stark contrast to UC Santa Cruz's 10-of-15. The Oaks' composure showed in the final stretch, with Frisch and Applewhite leading critical scoring runs. Rebounding was nearly even, with Menlo grabbing 32 boards to UC Santa Cruz's 33. However, Menlo's 10 offensive rebounds created second-chance opportunities that translated into 9 points. The Oaks also held the edge in points in the paint (36-42) and limited the Banana Slugs' bench to just 20 points.

The pivotal moment came in the fourth quarter when Menlo surged ahead, outscoring UC Santa Cruz 24-16. Aggressive defense and sharp shooting turned a tight contest into a convincing win. Frisch's perfect free-throw performance and Applewhite's clutch baskets down the stretch put the game out of reach.

Up Next….

Menlo now heads into the holiday break at .500 on the season (3-3), energized by a team effort that demonstrated poise, efficiency, and depth. After Thanksgiving, the Oaks will return to action, looking to begin conference play on Thursday, December 5th at 5:30pm against Azusa Pacific!