Redlands Men's Basketball Cruises Past Caltech in SCIAC Opener, 106-74

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On the opening night of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition, the University of Redlands men's basketball program jumped out to a 22-2 lead early in the first half against the Caltech Beavers en route to cruising to a 106-74 victory.  Five players hit double-digits on the night while a total of fourteen different Bulldogs scored in the road win.

After Caltech scored the game's opening bucket, senior forward Josiah Brensdal (Kent, WA) and junior guard Matt Calhoun (Clackamas, OR) jumpstarted the Bulldog offense by scoring a combined eight straight points.  Playing tough defensively, Redlands forced a few Caltech turnovers, leading to some easy baskets and a 28-4 lead after just six minutes. 

Firing on all cylinders on the offensive end, Redlands found its range from beyond the arc, draining seven three-point shots during the first half.  Junior guard Ricky Peetz (Redlands, CA) came off the bench and shot a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown in addition to sinking two from the free-throw line for 11 points in a very efficient nine minutes of play.  On the night, he tallied 12 total points. 

The Maroon and Gray used a couple of layups from junior forward Brandon Hrboka (San Pedro, CA)  in the closing minutes of the first stanza and finished on a 12-6 run, giving Redlands the 61-31 lead at the break.

Not skipping a beat after halftime, the Bulldogs built a 40-point lead by the 11:21 mark in the second half.  With everyone off the bench contributing, junior forward Alex Rudd (St. Louis, MO) led the charge, tallying 11 total points.  Junior guard Kendel Glapion (San Francisco, CA) also put in productive minutes, shooting 2-for-3 from the field for six points while junior forward Ian Gordon (Bellevue, WA) nabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists in addition to scoring one bucket on the night.

Senior guard Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) led all Redlands scorers with 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting on top of grabbing five rebounds, dishing out four assists and recording four steals.  Calhoun also filled up the stat sheet, shooting 66.7% from the field for 11 points while also leading the team in steals, notching five on the evening. 

Moreover, senior guard Brian Kuklok (Poway, CA) put in a strong showing for the second consecutive game, going 4-for-6 from the field for 11 total points, adding to the balanced Bulldog offense.

For the game, Redlands shot 56.7% from the field as a team and an impressive 56.2% from three-point land.

The Maroon and Gray (2-2, 1-0) returns home on Saturday evening for a SCIAC showdown against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.