LOS ANGELES — Andrew Johnson scored 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting, Spencer Levy added 15 off of the bench and Andrew Garrison had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
But a solid Caltech squad went 10 of 21 from the 3-point line and David LeBaron scored 25 points, leading the Beavers to a 86-77 win over the Tigers in the 110 Freeway Rivalry Game and season opener at Rush Gym on Saturday.
Things went downhill for the Tigers starting with 18 minutes remaining in the second half when Johnson, their returning All-SCIAC performer, started cramping up and had to leave the game. The junior from Los Angeles had 15 points in the first half, but scored just five in 7 minutes in the second.
Caltech is now 4-4 in its last eight games against SCIAC competition. Oxy infamously lost to Caltech in 2010, snapping a 310 game SCIAC losing streak. Since that victory the Beavers have invested in their athletic program, led by head coach Oliver Eslinger, and become a very competitive SCIAC team.
Jay Miller scored 15 points and Kory Hamane added 12 on 4 of 5 shooting from beyond the arc for the Tigers.
Lebaron and Ricky Galliani each hit three 3-pointers and Lawrence Lee and Brent Cahill each hit two.
Galliani scored 17 and grabbed nine rebounds.
KC Emezie, Caltech's returning All-SCIAC 6-foot-6 wing, scored 15 points and had six rebounds. 6-foot-10 Nasser Al-Rayes chipped in seven points and nine assists.
Next Game: The Tigers play their first road game at West Coast Baptist on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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