SPOKANE, WA – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team jumpstarted their 2021-22 campaign Saturday night in the Tip-Off Classic, in Spokane, WA, but fell 74-68 to host Whitworth University, who is ranked No. 19 in the d3Hoops.com preseason polls.

Head Coach Eric Bridgeland is proud of how his team competed against one of the top teams in the country.  The Maroon and Grey trailed just by one at the break and had opportunities late, but couldn't pull off the early season upset. 

An early 8-4 run by the Pirates gave them a 17-6 lead within the first five minutes.  This double-digit advantage would stay until the 5:47 mark when the Bulldogs would make a late push sparked by a three-pointer from Josh Himel (Jacksonville, FL).  This led to a 10-2 run for UR, which included a three-pointer and jumper from Justice Marmara (Arlington, TX), capped off with a layup from Khair Jackson (Conoga Park, CA).  This made the deficit single digits at 37-30 with 2:20 to play.  But Redlands wasn't done, following two free throws by Whitworth that pushed the lead back to nine, UR would close out the half with eight unanswered.  Neil Owens (Pasadena, CA) and Romeo Hayes (Vallejo, CA) both created separation for jumpers that started the run, Owens and Jackson would both go 1-of-2 from the charity stripe and Colin McCarthy (Redwood City, CA) would end the run with a jumper at the buzzer.

Whitworth reestablished themselves early in the second half, opening a 52-45 lead.  The Bulldogs were able to weather the storm however and got within two at 54-52, thanks to a 7-2 run, which saw Owens knock down a triple followed by jumpers from Marmara and Robert Power (Pacific Palisades, CA).  The Pirates then used a 10-0 run to extend the lead back to double digits (64-54), but again UR didn't go away quietly stringing together eight unanswered, six of which came from Marmara that cut the deficit back to two. 

Darne Duckett (Oakland, CA) came up clutch down the stretch for the Maroon and Grey knocking down a game tying three-pointer with 3:31 left and then added a jumper that deadlocked things again this time at 68-68.  But three straight empty trips by UR in the final two minutes would prove costly as Whitworth would tack on six points, four of which came from the free-throw line that iced the game. 

Marmara finished with a game high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added a double double with 10 boards.  Duckett was the only other Bulldog in double figures with 13 points and Power came off the bench with nine points going 4-of-7 from the field. 

The Bulldogs finished the night shooting 47.4% from the field, 30% from three-point territory and was at a 53.3% clip from the free-throw line.  They also hauled in 31 boards, provided eight points off turnovers and added 34 points in the paint.         

Redlands wraps up the Tip-Off Classic today, Sunday, November 7 when they take on Pacific (OR) beginning at 4:00pm.