WHITTIER, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team dropped a high-scoring thriller at Whittier College, 103-94, on Wednesday night. The 94 points is a season-high, but the Bulldogs were unable to get enough stops down the stretch to pull out the win as they drop to 8-8, 4-5 SCIAC.
In the first half the Bulldogs put up 46 points, twenty of them coming from the three-point line and the charity stripe as they shot 37.8 percent.
The Bulldogs got to work quickly jumping out in front 8-2 in the first two minutes with Romeo Mays (Vallejo, CA) and Sam Abere (Lake Oswego, OR) connecting inside joined by Neil Owens (Pasadena, CA) who knocked down a jumper. The Maroon and Grey maintained this lead for the first five minutes before falling behind by two, 10-8, at the 14:32 mark.
Two minutes later the deficit moved to seven, but this time around it was Robert Power (Pacific Palisades, CA) getting UR within two putting together his own 5-0 run, which included a triple and two free-throws.
Redlands re-took the lead, 28-25 with 8:23 left after a 12-2 run. The momentum switch was started by sophomore Justice Marmara (Arlington, TX), who converted on a three-point play, and included a four-point play from sophomore Josh Himel (Jacksonville, FL).
After falling behind by seven for the second time on the evening Redlands was able to put together another run late as Owens would convert inside, followed by first-year Gunner Wooden (Canton, MI) cashing in on a three-point play, which gave the Bulldogs a 43-42 lead with 3:41 left in the half. But over the final three minutes the U of R managed only three points allowing WC to come back and take a nine-point lead into the break. Nine different players scored for UR in the half and they took care of the ball totaling only five turnovers.
Abere opened up the scoring in the second half with a layin and Owens followed with a triple that cut further into the deficit pulling the Bulldogs within two possessions. It then became a one-possession game at 61-58 soon after when Mays, Abere and Wooden combined for seven points. Wooden then came back with a layup at the 15:51 mark that made it a one-point game.
After more back-and-forth, senior Colin McCarthy (Redwood City, CA) answered from downtown that kept the Bulldogs close at 72-68. After that Redlands would knock down four more buckets that pulled them within one with 6:05 left. McCarthy then came up clutch adding another triple that put the Maroon and Grey on top 84-82, giving UR their first lead since the final few minutes of the first half. With 5:29 left McCarthy kept the hot hand knocking down another three that made it a three-point game. But despite that effort the Bulldogs managed just seven points over the final 5:29 losing their lead, which they were unable to regain.
The Bulldogs were given a chance in the second half thanks to 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from Owens and 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from McCarthy. But thirteen fouls proved the difference, which led to 16 points for the Poets. The bench continues to be strong for the Bulldogs as they combined for 42 points. Owens finished with a season-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting (57.1 percent). McCarthy totaled 17 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes of action, Mays registered 13 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks and Abere chipped in with 13 points, three boards, and five assists.
The Bulldogs remain on the road this Saturday, February 5 against Chapman University beginning at 2:00pm continuing their three-game road trip.