Halftime Entertainment by Mascot
The University of Redlands men's basketball team stepped up with a huge 77-69 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Wednesday in Currier Gym, resulting in a season sweep of the Stags for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
The Bulldog seniors achieved their first win over the conference rival with a 65-55 decision on Jan. 29. With tonight's showing, they now record their second victory against CMS in their careers.
In addition, the Bulldogs move back into a tie for first place with CMS with two games to play.
After seven first-half ties, Redlands hit back-to-back baskets with senior forward Stephen Call (Portola Valley, CA) nailing a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to capture Redlands' biggest lead of the period at 34-27.
However, CMS answered when freshman guard Tyler Gaffaney (Mill Valley, CA) knocked down a big shot from long range at the end of the half to make it a four-point game.
The Stags erupted for a 10-2 run to open the second stanza, resulting in a 40-36 advantage for CMS.
But the Bulldogs remained patient and focused on execution. During an 11-2 run, senior guard Kent Ervin (Bend, OR) led the charge with consecutive buckets, including an important three-pointer that inspired the Currier crowd.
Nonetheless, CMS refused to go away, eventually tying it at 55 apiece with a graduate student center Patrick Lacey (Orangevale, CA) lay-up at the 8:20 mark.
Redlands again responded with critical shots over the next three minutes, creating a nine-point swing in favor of the Bulldogs. Senior center Jordan Sanvictores (Redwood City, CA) played a pivotal role in this momentum shift, rejecting one Stag shot and scoring five points.
With CMS converting its opportunities at the charity stripe, it slowly cut the lead to six with 1:28 remaining. Then a long three-pointer by senior guard Beau Heidrich (Woodside, CA) with just under a minute demanded a gut-check by the Bulldogs.
Sanvictores stepped up for Redlands, making a huge offensive rebound for the put-back, followed by four game-changing free-throws.
Up 74-65 with 30 seconds left, Redlands allowed an uncontested dunk by CMS' Lacey, which proved to be inconsequential as sophomore guard Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) drove the hole and converted the and-one play to secure the Bulldog victory.
Sanvictores finished with a game-high 21 points, which included an 8-for-10 overall performance and a 5-for-6 showing at the line. He also pulled in 10 rebounds and dished out two assists.
Ervin recorded 11 points, including two influential baskets from beyond the arc.
Senior center Andrew Mills (Newcastle, WA) chipped in 11 points as the only other double-digit scorer for the Bulldogs.
As a team, Redlands shot an outstanding 65.9% from the field, compared to the Stags' 48.1% performance. The Bulldogs also knocked down five of their eight three-pointers, while CMS recorded a 7-for-19 showing. The only area of struggle for the Maroon and Gray came at the charity stripe, going just 14-for-20 on the night.
CMS (13-9, 9-3 SCIAC) gained 14 points from Lacey, while Heidrich added 12.
Redlands (12-11, 9-3 SCIAC) looks forward to Senior Night on Saturday against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Following the women's game at 5 p.m., the Bulldog men tip off at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday's contests also include Fan Appreciation Night with the first 100 fans receiving a complimentary Bulldog Basketball T-shirt, courtesy of the Athletic Department and the Bulldog Bench.
