The University of Redlands men's basketball team survived a four-minute scoring drought late in the game to hold on for an 80-79 victory over the Poets of Whittier College on Saturday.  Senior forward Josiah Brensdal's 20-point, eight-rebound effort led the Bulldogs to the important win, which keeps them atop the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings with five contests remaining.

Leading by 12 with 4:16 to go in the game, the Redlands offense went stagnant as Whittier continued to pressure and make its baskets.  However, the Poets missed out on three free-throw chances in the final three minutes, providing the edge for the Maroon and Gray.  In addition, Whittier's final-second shot just missed at the buzzer, allowing the Bulldogs to breathe a sigh of relief and remain in first place.

At the start of the game, the teams traded punches en route to an early 11-all tie.  Whittier's Jacob Porter capped off a 7-2 run for the Poets when he nailed a jumper with 13:16 remaining in the first stanza.

However, Redlands' junior forward Alex Rudd (St. Louis, MO) answered with a three-pointer that sparked an impressive 16-2 run for the Bulldogs.  With 9:20 to go in the period, the Maroon and Gray held a 29-20 advantage.

The squad maintained its lead through the end of the half, as Brensdal laid in the final bucket of the half to make it 47-38 at the break.

The Maroon and Gray knocked down 47.5% of its shots during the opening 20 minutes, with Whittier shooting a comparable 46.7%.  The Bulldogs managed to convert three three-pointers, as the Poets only hit one.  But the home team held a slight advantage at the charity stripe, going 9-for-16, as Redlands only made five of its seven chances.

During the second stanza, Whittier opened the action with a 10-3 run as Chris Barnes-Williams led the charge with a pair of three-pointers by the 16:39-mark.

A tight battle ensued with knotted scores coming with 14:17 and 12:44 to go in the game.

Moments later the Poets gained a slight lead at 64-62 with 12:25 remaining on Phillip Thomas' pair of made free-throws.

However, Redlands fired off a 12-0 run to gain a sizeable lead by the 8:07-mark.  Junior guard Ricky Peetz (Redlands, CA) played an instrumental role in this offensive spurt, as he hit back-to-back shots from downtown for the Bulldogs.

Less than four minutes later, Redlands sat comfortably ahead at 80-68 after senior guard Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) scored what would become the team's final bucket.  He had 10 points and nine assists on the night.

The Bulldogs struggled through the final minutes, with Whittier utilizing their fouls to give and making three of its final five shots.  Luckily for Redlands, the Poets missed three attempts from the charity stripe, leading to the Maroon and Gray's 80-79 victory.

Redlands shot 44% overall, while Whittier came in at 50% after a solid second-half effort of 53.8%.  The Bulldogs only went to the free-throw line on a total of six occasions, including two in the final 20 minutes.  The Poets were 17-for-27 at the charity stripe.

In addition to Brensdal's solid night, Redlands gained 14 points and eight boards from Rudd, and 10 points from senior guard Brian Kuklok (Poway, CA). 

Whittier's (10-10, 6-5 SCIAC) Thomas led all players with 25 points, while Barnes-Williams added 20.  Tyree Landrum provided a double with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with six blocks.

Redlands (15-5, 10-1 SCIAC) returns home to the friendly confines of Currier Gym on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. SCIAC tilt against Caltech.