REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team put together one of their best all around performances of the season Wednesday night rolling Occidental College 78-61 inside Currier Gym.
With the win the Bulldogs improve to 8-6, 4-3 SCIAC and hold onto the No. 4 spot within the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings.
The Maroon and Grey outscored the Tigers 37-30 in the first half and then 41-31 in the second en route to their second win in their last three games. The U of R shot 37.9% from the field, 25.9% from three-point territory, and 65.6% from the free-throw line. They hauled in 40 rebounds on the night, forced 19 turnovers and collected 19 points off of them. They also earned 32 points in the paint and got help from the bench who chipped in with 34 points.
Three players recorded double-digit scoring efforts led by Neil Owens (Pasadena, CA) who finished with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting, which included three triples. He was joined by Romeo Mays (Vallejo, CA) with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Robert Power (Pacific Palisades, CA) who has made his return from the COVID-19 protocols played big minutes adding 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The lone lead for Oxy came in the first two minutes when they led 3-2 after a triple from Aiden Williams. After that it was all Bulldogs with Khair Jackson (Canoga Park, CA) adding five in a row that got the offense going for UR. The Tigers tried to keep it close early getting within one at the 13:35 mark, but that's as close as they would get as Redlands would add eleven of the next twelve points to open up a double digit lead 22-11. During that run five different players scored with jumpers coming from Colin McCarthy (Redwood City, CA) and Justice Marmara (Arlington, TX), layups from Jackson and Owens and a triple from Josh Himel (Jacksonville, FL).
Down the stretch in the first half Oxy would get within single digits on a few occasions, but had no answer for the UR offense as they would tack on another ten points across the final 4:35 before taking a 37-30 lead into the break.
Out of the break Mays and Owens went off combining for 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting along with nine rebounds. They started the half off with a layup and triple and Owens would keep it going with five in a row two minutes later behind a layup and another three-pointer. At the 15:16 mark Himel would tack on another deep three that moved the deficit to sixteen and that's all the spacing Redlands would need as they would increase their lead to 19 late before finishing off the Tigers.
Redlands remains at home this Saturday, January 29 when they host Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 5:00pm.