The University of Redlands men's basketball team went on the road for the first time since Dec. 19 and defeated the University of La Verne by a score of 71-60.  Despite trailing by five points at the halftime intermission, the Bulldogs used a sensational defensive effort in the second half and outscored the Leopards by 16 points en route to the important Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) triumph.

The two teams traded baskets early on in a fast-paced opening of the game.  Redlands took its first lead with 16:56 remaining in the half when junior guard Matt Calhoun (Clackamas, OR) sank a jumper to make it 11-10.

La Verne then used a 12-4 run over the next four minutes to earn a 22-15 lead.  However, Redlands' senior guards Brian Kuklok (Poway, CA) and Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) responded immediately by each making jump shots, cutting the Leopards' lead back to three.

The Leopards continued to play well and owned a 38-30 advantage with less than four minutes left in the first stanza, but the Bulldogs closed out the half with an 8-5 run to face a manageable five-point deficit at halftime.

The Maroon and Gray shot the ball well in the first half, going 16-for-31 from the field, but for La Verne, it was its three-point performance that resulted in the halftime lead.  During the first 20 minutes, the Leopards converted 7 of their 11 attempts from downtown, and individually, Jake Vieth drained four of those long-range shots to post a period-high 16 points.

After Vieth's impressive first half, the U of R shut him down in the second frame, holding him to 2-of-9 shooting and just five points in the final 20 minutes.  Overall, the Bulldogs' strong defense shined throughout the second half, as they held La Verne to just 18.5% shooting from the field and a mere 17-point showing.

Nonetheless, the Leopards managed to extend their lead to eight on a couple of occasions early in the second stanza, and with 12:06 remaining in regulation, sat in front by a score of 56-49 following a Vieth three-pointer.  That field goal, however, was the last for the Leopards during the final 12 minutes of the game.

Freshman Shawn James (Plano, TX) came off the bench and started the comeback for the Bulldogs, making a jump shot to make it a five-point game.  Senior forward Josiah Brensdal (Kent, WA) then hit a jumper the next time down the floor and Kirk cut the lead to one after a made layup with 9:20 left on the clock.

Following a defensive rebound by Kuklok with just over seven minutes to go, he found junior guard Eric Radford (Federal Way, WA), who drained another jumper for the U of R, resulting in a one-point advantage for the Bulldogs.  From here, the Maroon and Gray maintained its lead en route to its fifth consecutive conference triumph of the season. 

Four straight points from Kuklok put Redlands up by a score of 63-58.  Moments later, Brensdal hit a critical shot from beyond the arc with just over two minutes left in the second half to equalize a couple of Leopard free throws and extend the Redlands advantage to six points.

Stifling defense by the Maroon and Gray down the stretch prohibited the Leopards from scoring any more points, and some clutch free-throw shooting sealed the victory for the road warriors.

On the night, Redlands shot 48.2% from the field, while holding La Verne to just 37.3%.  A big part of the defensive effort included forcing the Leopards into 16 turnovers.

Kuklok led the Bulldogs in scoring with 19 points in addition to grabbing three boards and dishing out two assists.  Kirk put in another solid effort, shooting 6-for-11 from the field for 14 points, to go along with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.  Playing strong down low, Brensdal grabbed a team-high six rebounds and blocked two shots in addition to scoring 13 points.

Redlands returns home on Saturday for Family Fun Night!  The Bulldogs take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in Currier Gym in a battle of the last two undefeated teams in the SCIAC.  Tip-off follows the women's game and is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m. In honor of Family Fun Night, any adult who brings a kid to the game will receive free admission and all children 14 and under are invited down to Gary Smith Court for a casual shoot-around at halftime.  Furthermore, all children in attendance will receive a voucher for a free kid's meal at the local Corner Bakery Café.