Photo by samsphotoservices.com

By Jack Brancheau

LOS ANGELES — Despite a strong second half, the Tigers fell to the Whittier Poets in heartbreaking fashion, 74-73, in their Saturday afternoon matchup at Rush Gymnasium.

The Tigers rallied back in the second half, quickly erasing an 8-point Whittier lead and eventually gaining a 6-point edge of their own. However, with just over three minutes left in the game, Whittier hit back-to-back threes, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Down 2 points with 2.9 seconds left in the game, Whittier guard, Louis Kurihara, made a game-winning 'and one' play to seal the victory for the Poets. Kurihara, who had 20 points on the day, and Victor Nwaba, who added 21 points, led the way for the Poets - both making big shots down the stretch.

Austin DeWitz led the way for the Tigers with another gritty performance, scoring 21 of his 23 points in the second half, and at times looking unstoppable at both ends of the court. The junior missed most of the first half with foul trouble. 

Caleb Yellin-Flaherty and Jacob Adler both had solid games, scoring 12 and 10 points respectively.  

Zach Baines had a good night on the boards with 9 rebounds and Ryan Kaneshiro dealed out 5 assists.

Season Impact: Oxy falls to 17-4 overall and 10-2 in conference.

Looking Ahead: The Tigers jump right back into SCIAC play, squaring off with the first-place CMS Stags on Monday (2/12) at Rush Gymnasium.