The University of Redlands men's basketball team took on a challenging slate of opponents that forced the Bulldogs to dig deep while managing on-court personnel changes and injuries throughout the 2017-18 campaign. However, the opportunity presented itself to allow new faces to emerge out of the shadows and gain success in new ways. With multiple games decided by fewer than three possessions, the Maroon and Gray clawed its way to a 7-18 overall record and a 5-11 showing in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action.
After opening the season with a pair of high-caliber exhibition games against Vanguard University and Westmont College, the Bulldogs hit the road for two games in Tacoma, WA, at the McArthur Classic. Amidst seven ties and eight lead changes, the in-region showdown against Pacific University (OR) required overtime to determine a victor. Redlands trailed late but repeatedly answered the call. Junior guard Joey Sponheim (Redlands, CA) hit a timely three-pointer to make it 64-65 with 4:19 to go before scoring the game-tying lay-up with about a minute to play. Unfortunately, the overtime stanza belonged to the Boxers, as the Bulldogs trailed from the opening possession. Sophomore guard Trevor Baker (Phoenix, AZ) paced the Maroon and Gray with his 23-point effort, as one of four starters in double figures.
In a unique scheduling reality, the Bulldogs faced the University of Puget Sound on day two of the McArthur Classic before hosting the Loggers back in Currier Gym four days later. While trying to combat UPS' high-flying, three-pointer-based, offensive system, the Bulldogs averaged more than 113 points per game but came up on the losing end of both contests. In the road game, Redlands shot an incredible 61.2% but it was not enough to match the Loggers' 24 buckets from downtown. Baker did his best to mimic UPS' style of play with five threes of his own en route to a 36-point explosion, to go along with nine rebounds and five assists. The teams' second encounter came down to one point, as the Loggers prevailed in a 116-115 decision. Despite out-shooting and out-rebounding the visitors, Redlands struggled to close out the win late in the game. Sophomore forward David Menary (Grass Valley, CA) produced his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs secured their first win of the season in a hard-fought showdown against in-region foe, UC Santa Cruz, during the Lee Fulmer Memorial Classic. In a physical and tight contest, Redlands built a 12-point lead in the second half and stymied the Banana Slugs' comeback effort with tenacious defense and quality shooting. While never trailing in the final 20 minutes, the Maroon and Gray came out on top by a score of 80-74 with four players scoring in double figures. Senior guard Kyle Husslein (Tamuning, Guam) impressed off the bench by contributing 17 points and 14 rebounds in 31 minutes of action.
Redlands took on the fifth-ranked Warhawks of the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater in the second game of the tournament. Despite a late-game push, the Bulldogs came up short in a 60-69 decision.
Nonetheless, four days later, the Maroon and Gray stunned the visiting Stags of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in the conference opener. After trailing by 12 at halftime, the Bulldogs mustered an incredible comeback to knock down 52 points on 55.6% shooting in the second half to steal the 72-67 victory over the eventual SCIAC champions. During the exciting rally, Menary grabbed a loose ball before slamming it down for the dunk, which inspired the home crowd to its feet. In addition, senior forward Blake O'Brien (Sammamish, WA) added to the firepower when he knocked down a nothing-but-net three-pointer as the shot clock wound down with 1:20 left in the game. Finally, first-year guard Jacob Russell (Boise, ID) drove hard to the basket for the successful lay-up with 19 seconds remaining. He finished the game with 12 points off the bench.
After a two-game skid against non-conference foes, the Bulldogs rebounded with an 87-56 victory over out-of-area Gordon College (MA). After building an early 10-5 lead, Redlands never looked back and cruised to the solid win. Sponheim remained hot for the Maroon and Gray, as he scored 23 points for his eighth double-digit effort of the season. He went 5-for-8 from downtown.
Redlands endured a difficult month of January, which yielded only two wins in 11 games. First, the team overcame a six-point deficit into a 76-64 triumph over the Caltech Beavers. O'Brien led the charge with a season-high 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting. First-year forward Jordan Holden (Anaheim, CA) tossed in 10 points as a quality spark off the bench.
Following a three-point heartbreaker to Whittier College, the Bulldogs showed incredible tenacity and heart in a comeback win over the University of La Verne Leopards. Redlands overcame an 18-point deficit with a huge second half to secure the 80-74 win. The team put together a 19-6 run to take the lead with 13 minutes remaining in the game, as highlighted by huge buckets from senior guard Kyle Hamane, Husslein, and Sponheim. Sophomore guard Jesse Grabow (San Ramon, CA) also converted well-timed three-pointers to stretch Redlands' lead late in the game. Overall, Menary lit it up throughout the competition, resulting in a career-high 29 points, which included a 15-for-18 showing at the free-throw line. He also pulled in nine rebounds and tallied three blocks.
Against the Kingsmen, Redlands rallied back from 15 points down but fell short in a tough 84-93 defeat on the road. Despite the loss, Menary and sophomore guard Hass Berry (Riverside, CA) put on a scoring display that culminated in a pair of career showings. Menary topped the charts with a 30-point effort on 11-for-15 shooting, while Berry impressed in just his second start of the season by going off for 20 points with a 50% effort from beyond the arc.
On January 17, the Bulldogs used a non-conference game against UC Santa Cruz to try new combinations and provide different student-athletes opportunities on the court. Sophomore Allen Quintero (Ventura, CA) provided one major highlight by scoring a team-high 13 points with three buckets from downtown in just 12 minutes on the floor.
About a month later, the Bulldogs notched a second victory over La Verne, with this one coming in a 79-73 showing on the road. With the teams posting similar numbers in an evenly matched battle, the Bulldogs gained the edge from three-point range by knocking down twice as many as the Leopards. Berry continued to hit his stride with 5-for-6 shooting from downtown, while Holden tossed in a 3-for-5 effort. Finally, Sponheim and first-year guard Michael Hanna (Murrieta, CA) added to the long-range arsenal with made three-pointers. When the final buzzer sounded, Menary accounted for 22 points and 10 rebounds for another double-double, while Berry finished his night with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Sophomore forward Brittian Foster (Long Beach, CA) scored 13 points off the bench in a fine outing.
Redlands' final win of the season came on Senior Night against the Cal Lutheran University Kingsmen. After celebrating the careers and contributions of Hamane, Husslein, and O'Brien, the Bulldogs maintained the momentum on the court with a 72-65 victory in Currier Gym. The Maroon and Gray built its largest lead of the night, as first-year forward Parker Landolf's (Alamo, CA) three-point play made it 51-35 with 14:31 left in the game. Although the Kingsmen inched within one point with just under three minutes to go, Husslein and Russell took care of business at the charity stripe, while Hanna sealed the deal by sinking five of his six free-throw attempts down the stretch. Menary recorded yet another double-double, with a team-leading 20 points and 15 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end. Husslein added 15 points and six rebounds.
While finishing seventh in the SCIAC standings, the Bulldogs sat just three games out of fifth place in a parity-heavy conference.
Menary represented the Bulldogs on the All-SCIAC Second Team. In 16 conference games, he earned a scoring average of 19.3 points, which landed him second among SCIAC competitors. With skill and focus, he converted 53.1% of his shots. He also developed into a presence in the paint on defense by averaging 8.1 rebounds per game.
With the loss of key contributors, the Redlands men's basketball team looks to the rising talent and experienced competitors to combine for a lucrative mix. With Head Coach Jim Ducey remaining true to fundamental basketball, the squad holds hopes for making another step towards the upper echelon of the conference in the coming season.