With tenacious defense and a well-rounded offense, the University of Redlands men's basketball team overcame a 16-point deficit to surge past the visiting Hawks of San Diego Christian College on Tuesday night in Currier Gym. With four players in double figures, the Bulldogs registered their first win of the season with a 75-67 decision.
The Hawks erupted for an early 12-0 lead before Redlands rallied back with a 12-point run of its own, tying it up with 12:38 to go in the opening period.
However, the high-flying Hawk offense continued to soar, pulling ahead by 16 with 2:46 remaining in the first half.
But senior guard Ricky Peetz (Redlands, CA) knocked down a three-pointer to initiate a 7-0 run to finish out the half, which cut the Bulldogs' deficit to nine at 33-42.
During the second stanza, the Maroon and Gray built upon its late-spurred momentum by clawing its way back with each possession. After consecutive three-pointers by junior guard Connor Griffin (San Ramon, CA) and senior forward Alex Rudd (St. Louis, MO), Redlands trailed by only five points at the 13-minute mark.
With relentless effort, Redlands then cut it to three at 61-64 with 6:10 to go when senior forward Eric Radford (Federal Way, CA) knocked down back-to-back free-throws.
On San Diego Christian's ensuing possession, Radford pulled in a big defensive board before finding Peetz, who drained a shot from downtown to tie the game at 64 apiece with 5:47 remaining.
The Hawks regained the lead with a pair of converted free-throws, but Redlands' sophomore forward Kyle Milligan (Portland, OR) took a critical charge, sending the opponents' leading scorer, Andy Saharan, to the bench with five fouls. Peetz then made the most of the opportunity by sinking both shots from the charity stripe, evening the count again.
It was déjà vu for the Bulldogs, as Radford grabbed another big defensive board before finding Peetz on the other end. Peetz pulled up and nailed another huge shot from beyond the arc, putting the Bulldogs out in front for good at 69-66 with 3:36 remaining.
Redlands' defensive adjustments held the Hawks to a 23.5% shooting performance in the second frame, as compared to their first-half effort of 50%.
Overall, the Maroon and Gray converted 39.7% of its shots, with an improved showing in the second half at 46.4%.
Peetz finished the night with 13 points, highlighted by three well-timed buckets from long range. He also pulled in three rebounds and nabbed three steals.
Rudd led the Bulldogs with 16, including four from beyond the arc. Radford offered 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while sophomore forward Aljosa Bjekovic (Maribor, Slovenia) chipped in 10 points and six boards.
Saharan supplied 24 points for the Hawks, while Trevor English and Rafael Rodriguez provided 11 and 10, respectively. Kwaminique Brandon dished out 11 assists for San Diego Christian (1-2).
The Bulldogs (1-2) continue with their non-conference slate of opponents by hosting Lewis & Clark College (OR) on Saturday at 5 p.m.
