The University of Redlands men's basketball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Championships with a 63-54 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in tonight's 2011 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament final. With their third win over the Stags during the current season, the Bulldogs advance to the "Big Dance" for the first time since the 1984-85 season when then-head coach Gary Smith led the Maroon and Gray to a third-place finish at the NCAA West Regional.
Specific information about Redlands' opponent and site of competition will be announced at NCAA.com on Monday at 10 a.m.
In tonight's game, Redlands faced an early 4-8 deficit but responded with 17 unanswered points to create a lead that it would sustain through the final whistle. Senior forward Stephen Call (Portola Valley, CA) hit two of his baskets from beyond the arc during this span.
The Stags made it interesting on more than one occasion, including a comeback midway through the first half with a 14-4 run to eventually cut it to three with 4:32 remaining. Sophomore forward Alex Smith (Hillsborough, CA) drained his only three-pointer of the game to finish off this offensive spurt for CMS.
However, the Bulldogs tacked on five consecutive points to give them a 30-22 lead at the break. During this stretch, three different players scored for Redlands, while the Stags went a combined 0-for-6 in the final 4:22 of the period.
CMS rallied to make it a two-point game just 3:25 into the second half, as Redlands recorded three turnovers to create opportunities for the Stags. CMS junior forward Joseph Anderson (Lafayette, CA) capped off this lucrative run when he drove the hole to make it 31-33.
Back-to-back buckets by junior center Jack Colston (Dana Point, CA) gave the Bulldogs a little breathing room at 37-31, but CMS kept fighting back to keep it close. The Stags eventually cut it to two points again when sophomore guard Cody Mivshek (Fort Collins, CO) laid in a basket at the 10-minute mark.
Redlands finally stretched its lead to 11 points with consecutive three-pointers by Colston and Call with 5:43 left in the second stanza.
A critical jumper by senior center Andrew Mills (Newcastle, WA) and converted free-throws by three different Bulldog players kept the Stags at bay through the final ticks of the clock. Redlands went 7-for-8 from the line in the waning 2:23 to punch its ticket to the NCAA Championships.
Kirk led all scorers with 14 points, which included a near-perfect 7-for-8 performance from the charity stripe. He also nabbed five rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Senior forward Matt Dietrich (Phoenix, AZ) recorded 11 points and five rebounds, while Colston and Call each added nine points. Colston led his team with seven boards.
CMS' graduate student center Patrick Lacey (Orangevale, CA) tallied 13 points with Anderson chipping in 11 to go along with two blocks and three steals.
As a team, Redlands connected on 44.4% of its shots, while the Stags (16-10, 11-3 SCIAC) came up with a 37.5% display. The Bulldogs also knocked down 50% of their shots from beyond the arc and 80% of their free throws.
After winning the 2011 SCIAC title, Redlands (16-11, 11-3 SCIAC) advanced to the SCIAC Postseason Tournament for the first time in the event's four-year existence. In their first appearance, the Bulldogs captured the tournament title for the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.