REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team saw their winning streak end at six games Wednesday night in front of a packed house inside Currier Gym falling 81-78 to No. 15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Redlands still boasts an impressive 12-4, 6-1 SCIAC record and now sit in a three-way tie atop the conference standings with Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Bulldogs lost their leading scorer Chozen Amadi (Dallas, TX) early in the second half after playing only nine minutes and were already without their early season scoring leader, Neil Owens (Pasadena, CA) who has been out due to injury.
Cameron Brown (Bakersfield, CA) went off for the third straight game with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting with seven rebounds and a career high four steals. He has now score 20 or more points in three straight games. Khyree Armstead (Mountlake Terrace, WA) added 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting along with five rebounds and five assists. Off the bench Colin McCarthy (Redwood City, CA) and Robert Power (Pacific Palisades, CA) combined for 24 points to help the Bulldog offense overcome the loss of Amadi and the absence of Owens. McCarthy had 13 points, six rebounds, and one steal. Power scored 11 points and hit two threes. Additionally, Nathaniel Johnson (Seattle, WA), despite only having six points played big in the paint blocking a career high seven blocks to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Stags opened the game with six of the first eight points. But over the next three and a half minutes the Bulldogs got into the groove offensively using their full court press to take a four-point lead, 14-10. During the 12-2 run, the Maroon and Grey picked up points from five different players: Brown (2), McCarthy (3), Armstead (2), Khair Jackson (Canoga Park, CA) (2), and Power (3).
This lead extended to nine with under ten minutes to play, 30-21 thanks to back-to-back triples from Amadi and McCarthy. The Stags responded to the positive stretch from the Bulldogs with a mini-run that pulled them within four on two occasions. But with 3:13 remaining Redlands would get a 9-2 run courtesy of an Armstead jumper, two Brown lay-ins, and a Power three-pointer.
After that the offense slowed with Brown adding two free-throws the rest of the way giving UR a 43-32 lead at the break.
The Bulldogs and Stags combined for 15 points in the opening three minutes of the second half. A complete 180 from the final three minutes of the first half where the two teams combined for only four points. Redlands' offense was able to maintain their double-digit lead during the run, moving the margin to back to ten, 50-40.
Over the next three minutes the Stags would get five quick points to pull within five, but saw the Bulldogs get them right back to reestablish their 10-point lead, 55-45, at the 14:37 mark.
Redlands and CMS continued to go back and forth with the Stags posting a 12-5 run to get within three for the first time since the 10:39 mark of the first half. Brown and Johnson responded with buckets to extend the U of R lead to three possessions, 64-57.
A minute later the Stags would swing the momentum deadlocking the game at 64 with 7:13 left in the game. This was the first time CMS was on even ground or led since going in front 10-9 at the 15:10 mark of the first half.
Sam Abere (Lake Oswego, OR) stopped the surge hitting a clutch three off an Armstead assist and Johnson made it back-to-back baskets as he hit a jumper to put the Bulldogs up by five, 69-64, with 6:22 on the clock.
Redlands kept their pressure on CMS as they led by six with less than five minutes to go after Armstead grabbed an offensive rebound before finishing moving the score to 72-66. Power kept it a six-point margin following an and one with 3:04 left. But the next time down the floor Josh Angle would knock down a triple that pulled CMS within one, 76-75. Following an empty possession by UR the Stags would go down and put up the go-ahead basket from James Frye with 1:40 left. Rhett Carter made it a three-point deficit soon after with a layup inside and despite a layup from Brown with :11 seconds left it wouldn't be enough as a desperation three from Josh Himel (Jacksonville, FL) would come up short as time expired, allowing the Stags to hold on for the win.
The Bulldogs shot 44.6% from the field, 34.8% from three-point territory, and 66.7% from the free-throw line. UR turned the ball over 15 times and were outscored in the paint 44-30. They did outscore the CMS bench 26-6 though and outrebounded the Stags 37-31.
Redlands returns to the court this Saturday, January 21 for the final game of the first round of SCIAC competition when they travel to Occidental College beginning at 4:00pm.