REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team was without three starters Wednesday night and were down to nine active players, but it wouldn't matter as the Bulldogs would cruise past Whittier College 79-64 completing the season sweep over the Poets.
Redlands received a 22-point performance from Robert Power (Pacific Palisades, CA), which tied his career high as they improved to 16-6, 10-3 SCIAC. Neil Owens (Pasadena, CA) returned from injury and what a statement he made posting 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, nine points coming from deep along with four assists and three boards. The 21 points are his most since he scored 20 at LeTourneau on December 13.
The Bulldogs got off to a quick start offensively despite missing multiple players as they led by nine, 15-6, at the 13:21 mark. Owens, Khyree Armstead (Mountlake Terrace, WA), and Cal Hansen (Burien, WA) all had four points across the first six plus minutes.
Following a Poet turnover, Owens hit a three to give the Bulldogs their first double figure advantage of the game, 20-8. At the 5:45 mark of the first half, Gunner Wooden (Canton, MI) setup Power for a three as the lead grew to 17, 33-16.
Redlands would only allow two points over the final two minutes of the half as they took a 43-23 lead into the break following a buzzer-beating lob from Sam Abere (Lake Oswego, OR) to Armstead.
Whittier started the second half on an 11-3 run as they got within 12, 46-34, with less than three minutes taken off the clock. That 12-point deficit was as close as WC would get as the Bulldogs eventually restored their 20-point advantage, 69-49, after Abere made a pair of threes in less than a minute.
The Bulldogs only managed ten points over the final seven minutes, but they had built a large enough lead to coast home for the 79-64 win.
Despite fouling out in only 21 minutes, Armstead grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds and Hansen had 10 rebounds, the most for him as a Bulldog. Redlands finished the game shooting 46.4% from the field, 25% from three-point territory and 50% from the free-throw line. They outrebounded the Poets 40-27, added 15 assists, 16 points off turnovers, 15 second chance points, and 46 points in the paint.
Redlands will now prepare for a massive game against current second place Claremont-Mudd-Scripps with SCIAC Tournament seeding on the line coming on the road next Wednesday, February 15 with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m.
