The University of Redlands men's basketball team outlasted the Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens in overtime on Saturday by a score of 95-86, moving the Bulldogs back into first place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). In addition to junior guardAlex Rudd's (St. Louis, MO) career-high 25 points off the bench, the Maroon and Gray saw every starter provide a double-digit effort en route to the exciting conference triumph.
The victory marks the second time that the U of R has topped Pomona-Pitzer during the 2012-13 campaign, and thanks to Whittier's 84-80 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, the Bulldogs remain as the only one-loss team in the SCIAC.
While the Bulldogs faced an early 0-6 deficit against the Sagehens, Rudd brought the Bulldogs back by scoring five consecutive points after being subbed into the game.
Midway through the first stanza, Rudd nailed a shot from deep, tying the game at 15. The Bulldogs then nabbed their first lead of the contest when junior guard Matt Calhoun (Clackamas, OR) made a lay-up at the 12:03-mark.
The U of R then used a 27-19 run to close out the half, taking a 46-36 advantage into the locker room. Outstanding defense held the Sagehens to 40.5% shooting from the field and a mere 1-of-10 from downtown during those first 20 minutes. The Maroon and Gray, on the other hand, made 6-of-9 from long-range and shot 54.8% from the field. Additionally, unselfish play led to 10 assists for Redlands, resulting in the 10-point lead.
Pomona-Pitzer came out firing in the second half, out-scoring the Bulldogs by a 21-13 margin to make it a two-point game with 12:25 remaining in regulation.
Redlands immediately responded, as senior forward Josiah Brensdal (Kent, WA) sank a jumper and junior guard Eric Radford (Federal Way, WA) converted an and-one-opportunity after a made lay-up to push the lead back to seven points at 64-57.
The Sagehens fought back and continued to chip into Redlands' advantage, eventually going ahead by one at 72-71 with just 2:22 left on the clock. However, Brensdal quickly answered with a lay-up to help the Bulldogs retake the lead.
Rudd and senior guard Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) each sank a pair of free throws during the final couple of minutes, but with 36 seconds remaining in regulation, the Sagehens tied the contest via a jumper from Kyle McAndrews.
Redlands got off one final shot at the buzzer, but to no avail, sending the game to overtime.
Neither team shot particularly well in the extra period, with the first score coming with 2:20 left on the clock when Brensdal converted a lay-up for the Maroon and Gray. This inspired a barrage of baskets, as Kirk made a lay-up and Rudd scored four straight points to push the Bulldog advantage to 85-77 with only 1:06 remaining.
Brensdal made one more shot and the Sagehens were forced to foul, sending the Maroon and Gray to the charity stripe, where the squad made eight-straight free-throws, sealing the crucial nine-point overtime victory.
For the game, the Bulldogs shot 43.3% from the field, including eight made-shots from beyond the arc. The Maroon and Gray also made 29 shots from the free-throw line, a big advantage over just 16 for the Sagehens.
Rudd finished with a 6-for-13 performance from the field, including an impressive 10-of-14 from the line. Brensdal had another big night, tying his career high with 21 points to go along with nine boards. Radford added 12 points and Calhoun scored 10, while Kirk and senior guard Brian Kuklok(Poway, CA) each chipped in 11. Additionally, Kirk grabbed seven boards and dished out a team-high eight assists in the win.
For Pomona Pitzer, Jake Klewer led the way with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
The U of R (13-5, 8-1 SCIAC) returns to action on Wednesday when it takes on the University of La Verne in a crucial SCIAC showdown. Tip-off against the Leopards is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Currier Gym.