With junior forward Josiah Brensdal (Kent, WA) leading the charge with 21 points, the University of Redlands men's basketball team nabbed a 70-58 victory over the visiting Leopards of the University of La Verne in Saturday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) tilt.

After opening with a 17-7 run, the Bulldogs owned a double-digit lead on all but one possession in the first half. Redlands controlled the pace of play by knocking down 46.4% of its shots while holding La Verne to a 25.8% shooting display.

The opening frame ended on a high note when senior guard Mychal Estrada (Redlands, CA) drained a long three-pointer at the buzzer, igniting the already-raucous Bulldog crowd. Estrada finished the night with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.

During the first two minutes of the second stanza, the Leopards stepped up with a 7-2 run to make it a 30-38 game.

But Redlands responded with an 8-1 run of its own to create a double-figure lead that held up through the final whistle. During this spurt, four different Bulldogs sank one shot, revealing a total-team effort that eventually resulted in 10 different goal-scorers.

In addition to Brensdal, junior guard Brian Kuklok (Poway, CA) and junior guard Tristan Kirk (Redlands, CA) broke the 10-point barrier with 16 and 11, respectively. Kirk also offered 11 rebounds, including five in the first 2:30 of the game, to go along with three assists.

La Verne (5-13, 2-5 SCIAC0 gained a 20-point, nine-rebound effort from senior forward Austin Napolitano (San Dimas, CA), while senior forward Jonathan Bastos (Mission Viejo, CA) chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

With tonight's win, Redlands (10-8, 5-2 SCIAC) sits in a three-way tie for second in the conference race. The Bulldogs welcome Occidental College to Currier Gym on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against the Tigers.