MEDFORD, Mass. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team (23-4) beat Saint Joseph's College of Maine (SJC), 89-79, in the NCAA Division III National Championship First Round for their first tournament win since 1985 when they won the third place game against Saint John's University (Minn.) in the West Regional.
The Bulldogs established an early 20-point lead in the first six minutes of the game leading 25-5. Omari Ferguson (Chicago, Ill.) had eight point thanks to a pair of three-pointers. Dayvon Gates (Carson, CA) added five points and both Donovan Ware (Palmdale, CA) and Jake Hlywiak (Valencia, CA) converted from down town.
The Monks cut into the lead by eight points across the next four minutes and closed to as many as seven, 40-33, with 3:13 to play, but Redlands would score ten quick points in less than two minutes as they went into the half up by 14, 50-36. Kendrick Currey (Manteca, CA), Lucas Gordon (San Marcos, CA), Nathan Mattera (Fontana, CA), and Ware all scored across the final minutes.
Unlike the ending to the first half, SJC came out strong in the second scoring seven unanswered points to cut it to single digits, 52-43, at the 15:41 mark.
Gates and Ferguson then set up Ware and Mattera for three-pointers during another 10-0 stretch that put the Bulldogs up by 19, 64-45.
That 10-0 run would be more than enough for the Bulldogs as they were up by double figures the rest of the game as they never trailed, while leading for the final 39:51.
Nine players played 16 or more minutes with ten scoring. Gordon led the way with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Gates and Ferguson had 12 points each, while Chozen Amadi (Dallas, TX) and Currey had 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Defensively the Bulldogs held the Monks to 36.6 percent shooting in large part to their 11 blocks. Jhace Boston (Bakersfield, CA) led the way with five. He also added three steals. Boston now has 36 blocks this season, tying him for 11th most in program history.
Gordon chipped in three blocks and two steals. Currey led the team with three steals, while Gates and Mattera had two.
Head Coach Eric Bridgeland and the Bulldogs push their win total to 23 on the season, the most since 1960-61 when Lee Fulmer won a program record 27 games.
Redlands will now prepare to play the regional host and the No. 8 ranked team in the country Tufts University tomorrow, Saturday, March 8 at 2:15 p.m. PST with the winner advancing to the third round against the winner of University of Pittsburgh/Bradford or Hampden-Sydney College/Bryn Athyn College.
