The University of Redlands men's basketball team led wire-to-wire against the visiting Leopards of the University of La Verne in tonight's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown, prevailing by a score of 67-51. Junior guard Matt Calhoun (Clackamas, OR) collected his first double-double of his Bulldog career, scoring 10 points and nabbing 10 rebounds, en route to the Bulldogs' 14th win of the season.
With neither team shooting particularly well, the Bulldogs grabbed an early 4-0 lead with Calhoun sinking back-to-back free-throws and senior forwardJosiah Brensdal (Kent, WA) making his way to the basket on a lay-up.
However, the Leopards enjoyed an offensive spurt over the next few minutes and cut the deficit to one at 9-10. Freshman forward Paul Titchener (San Francisco, CA) capped off the run with a jumper at the 12-minute mark.
A back-and-forth battle ensued with Redlands maintaining its lead through the duration, thanks in part to a three-pointer by junior forward Alex Rudd(St. Louis, MO). In addition, junior guard Eric Radford (Federal Way, CA) stepped up by providing a stellar and well-rounded effort.
Leading by two with less than six minutes to go in the first stanza, the Bulldogs finally found their offensive rhythm to quickly build a 31-21 advantage. During this outburst, junior guard Ricky Peetz (Redlands, CA) knocked down a pair of shots from beyond the arc, while Calhoun chipped in four points for the Maroon and Gray.
The Bulldogs closed out the half with a 31-23 lead.
Redlands shot a respectable 40% in the first half but struggled from long range, going just 3-for-13. However, the Bulldog defense held La Verne to a dismal 21.2%, including a 1-for-8 effort from beyond the arc.
Up by nine, the Maroon and Gray continued to push the lead during the second frame, earning a 14-point advantage with 14:21 remaining.
Nonetheless, La Verne refused to go away and eventually cut the deficit to just six points after uncorking a 6-2 run. Freshman forward Vince Bauer (Big Bear, CA) capped off the effort with a lay-up and a pair of free-throws, making it 40-46 with 10:06 to go.
But senior guard Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) answered for the Bulldogs, stepping up by scoring their next nine points to extend the lead back to 10.
From here, Redlands took care of the ball and converted its chances down the stretch, resulting in the 67-51 victory.
Overall, the Bulldogs shot 39.9% from the field, while the Leopards converted just 25.4% of their shots. Redlands was a stellar 90% from the charity stripe, going 18-for-20, compared to La Verne's 17-for-26 showing.
In addition, the Maroon and Gray won the rebounding battle, edging its opponents with a 44-42 margin.
Radford led the victors with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Brensdal offered 15 points and seven boards, while Kirk finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
La Verne gained a game-high 18 points from senior guard Jake Vieth (Chino Hills, CA), while senior guard Ronn See (Palm Desert, CA) led all players with 11 rebounds.
The Bulldogs (14-5, 9-1 SCIAC) remain at the top of the SCIAC with tonight's win and look forward to traveling to Whittier College on Saturday for a 7 p.m. bout with the Poets.