REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team suffered only their third loss on the season Tuesday night falling 70-66 to Lake Forest College inside Currier Gym.

The Bulldogs have now dropped two in a row as they move to 6-3, 1-0 SCIAC.   

Khyree Armstead (Mountlake Terrace, WA) led the way for the Maroon and Grey with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a career-high eight steals.  Nathaniel Johnson (Seattle, WA) added 12 points along with nine boards, two assists, two steals and a block and Chozen Amadi (Dallas, TX) chipped in with 12 points to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. 

It was a competitive opening four minutes with neither team leading by more than three points as the U of R trailed by one, 12-11. After that Redlands saw the deficit grow to nine following an 11-0 Forester run. 

Thirty-nine seconds later Cal Hansen (Burien, WA) converted on a layup inside off a Cameron Brown (Bakersfield, CA) assist and that sparked a stretch where the Bulldogs scored five unanswered points, while holding Lake Forest scoreless for 2:15.

As the first half neared the 10-minute mark, Khair Jackson (Canoga Park, CA) and Neil Owens (Pasadena, CA) each scored to get the Bulldogs within two, 22-20. The run of success was short lived though as LFC scored eight straight, which pushed the deficit for Redlands to double-figures. 

Brown knocked down a triple seconds later, which ignited fourteen in a row that lasted for five minutes swinging the momentum, while giving UR their first lead, 34-30, since leading 11-10 in the opening minutes. During the stretch Ben Peterson (El Segundo, CA) had a three-pointer, Robert Power (Pacific Palisades, CA) added a pair of free throws, Hansen had a layin, and Armstead added four points, two of which capped off the run as he would hammer home a two-handed jam. At the half the Bulldogs led by three, 36-33, thanks to a 16-3 run that spanned the final 7:42.

The Bulldogs' defensive unit opened the second half allowing just four points in the first 4:26 before the Foresters would re-take the lead 39-38 as the Bulldog offense managed just two points in that span. 

Amadi gave the Bulldogs their last lead of the game with a layup at the 14:48 mark. LFC regained the advantage just over a minute later and they would maintain it the rest of the way. 

Redlands did have one last run in them, getting within five after a Johnson basket with :35 seconds left as the Foresters left the door open after making only 2-of-4 free throws and allowing the Bulldogs to get four field goals and two free throw attempts down the stretch.  But the Bulldogs would only make one free throw and another field goal as their comeback fell short.

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs defended well, holding the Foresters to only 70 points (third fewest this season), a 43.9 percent shooting effort, seven made threes, all while only committing 10 turnovers (season-low). UR held a 30-8 advantage on points off turnovers, a plus four mark in points in the paint (36-32), and were plus eight in fastbreak points (8-0).  They hauled in 48 rebounds, 16-second chance points and saw 18 points come from the bench. 

The Bulldogs will end their non-conference home slate against Husson University next Thursday, December 29 at 7:00 p.m.