LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team wrapped up their first round of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition Saturday afternoon erasing a 12-point deficit to edge Occidental College 72-66. 

The Bulldogs rebounded following a tough loss to No. 15 Claremont-M-S this past Wednesday evening as they improve to 13-4, 7-1 SCIAC.  Graduate Student Colin McCarthy (Redwood City, CA) led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, a career high.  He also added six rebounds and a perfect 6-for-6 mark from the free-throw line.  Cameron Brown (Bakersfield, CA) added 14 points along with five boards, two assists, two steals and three blocks and Khyree Armstead (Mountlake Terrace, CA) finished with his second double double on the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, coupled with three assists and four steals (ninth time this season).

Cal Hansen (Burien, WA) came off the bench to chip in eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and Nathaniel Johnson (Seattle, WA) supported with five points, 10 rebounds and a block.                

The Bulldogs were the first to score, a layup coming from Brown, but they then found themselves trailing by seven, 11-4, nearly four minutes into the game.

This deficit grew to ten points, 25-15, with 8:50 remaining in the half and then it became twelve, four minutes later, 39-27.  Over the final four minutes in the first half the Bulldogs held the Tigers to just four points and put together a late surge with two points coming from Sam Abere (Lake Oswego, OR), five from McCarthy, and another two two from Armstead as they went into the locker room trailing by seven, 43-36. 

Redlands was able to cut into the Tiger lead in the first two minutes of the second half thanks to five quick points from Armstead, which pulled them within four, 45-41.  Despite the quick start to the half, the Tigers reestablished their 12-point lead, 54-42, with 14:16 remaining. 

This double-digit deficit lasted for the next three minutes until Abere knocked down a jumper to make it an eight-point game, 58-50. Abere's basket sparked twelve unanswered as the U of R took their first lead, 60-58, since it was 4-2 with 18:38 on the clock in the first.  

With just under five minutes to play McCarthy made a layup and knocked down a triple giving the Bulldogs their final lead of the game, 68-64.  Oxy answered with a layin to make it a two-point game, but over the final minute Brown would add a jumper followed by two free-throws from McCarthy.    

The Bulldogs shot 47.5% from the field, 23.5% from deep and 66.7% from the free-throw line.  They held a huge edge on the glass 44-26 and turned 17 turnovers into 22 points.  They also added 44 points in the paint and had 12 second chance points. 

Redlands returns to Currier Gym for a home game with Chapman University next Wednesday, January 25 beginning at 7:00pm.