The University of Redlands men's basketball team captured additional milestones with tonight's 79-56 victory over Cal Lutheran University, marking the program's first win on the road against the Kinsgmen since January 15, 1983. In addition, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the 2013 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship with the memorable triumph.
Redlands erupted with a 12-0 run to start the game, earning a sizeable lead that was never threatened. Junior forward Eric Radford (Federal Way, WA) initiated the scoring with a three-pointer before senior forward Josiah Brensdal (Kent, WA) knocked down his first of four shots from downtown on the night. Junior guard Matt Calhoun (Clackamas, OR) capped off the impressive run with a lay-up for the Bulldogs at the 17:03-mark.
With 12:39 left in the half, Cal Lutheran had inched its way back into the game, as Tyler Nunn sank a jumper to cut the deficit to five at 12-17.
However, on the Maroon and Gray's subsequent possession, junior guard/forward Alex Rudd (St. Louis, MO) nailed a three-pointer, halting the Kingsmen's attempt at a comeback.
Minutes later, Brensdal added to the Bulldogs' advantage with back-to-back buckets from downtown, making it a 28-14 game with 8:48 left in the stanza.
Due in large part to its nine three-pointers in the first half, Redlands entered the locker room with a 45-30 lead.
During the first frame, Brensdal poured in 17 points, which included a 3-for-3 effort from downtown. Rudd also converted three shots from beyond the arc, giving him nine points for the half.
Less than six minutes into the second stanza, the Bulldogs held their largest lead of the contest at 52-33 when Brensdal hit a free-throw.
The Bulldogs continued to keep their distance in the second half and cruised to victory with solid shooting and stifling defense.
Brensdal finished with 23 points and nine rebounds in just 23 minutes.
Rudd added 15 points off the bench, while junior guard Ricky Peetz (Redlands, CA) chipped in 11. They both finished with a trio of threes.
Calhoun dished out a team-high five assists on the night.
Overall, Redlands shot a solid 50% from the field to go along with a 12-for-25 effort from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs accomplished this by utilizing 15 players and posting a season-low eight turnovers.
Furthermore, the Maroon and Gray out-rebounded the Kingsmen by a 41-28 margin.
Cal Lutheran gained 17 points from Dan Wade, as the team shot 41.1% for the night. The Kingsmen only converted six shots from beyond the arc, knocking down 37.5% of their attempts.
Redlands (19-5, 14-1 SCIAC) heads to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday for the final game of the regular season. With the Stags' victory over Pomona-Pitzer Colleges tonight, Redlands sits one game ahead of CMS in the standings but will finish with at least a share of the conference title, regardless of Saturday's outcome. The teams tip off at approximately 7 p.m., following the women's match-up against the Athenas at 5 p.m.