REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team (15-2, 7-1 SCIAC) took down No. 9 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) 79-78 in overtime on Wednesday night inside Currier Gymnasium handing the Stags their first loss on the season and extending their winning streak to seven.
Jake Hlywiak (Valencia, CA) and Cam Brown (Bakersfield, CA) gave the Bulldogs an early 5-2 lead after a pair of jumpers through four minutes of play.
The Stags led by four as late as the 9:18 mark before the Bulldogs took a 24-22 lead four minutes later after Lucas Gordon (San Marcos, CA) drew a foul and converted both at the line, Omari Ferguson (Chicago, Ill.) got out on the fastbreak, and Gordon found Jhace Boston (Bakersfield, CA) from deep.
Trailing by two in the final :16 seconds of the first half Brown got to the line and made both before a steal by Hlywiak allowed Derek Sangster (Sunnyvale, CA) to get out on the fastbreak where he gave Redlands a 35-33 halftime lead.
Hlywiak had the Bulldogs ahead by seven, 56-49, inside of 10 minutes to play after he hit another three-pointer. CMS, though, cut the lead down to one a few minutes later.
A three-point play and fastbreak layup a minute later pushed the Bulldog lead to six, 63-57, with 5:16 on the clock.
From 3:35 down to the 2:05 mark the Stags went from down six to up one, 66-65. The Bulldogs would only score three points over the final four plus minutes, but they were able to hold off a buzzer beater attempt that would have won the game for CMS as the two sides went into OT.
In the five-minute overtime period, the Stags led for all but a minute and a half. A Boston layup with :18 seconds remaining would be the eventual game winner putting UR up one. CMS had three opportunities for putbacks around the rim in the final seconds but did draw a foul sending them to the free-throw line with an opportunity to tie and win the game. The Stag though would miss both free-throws allowing the Bulldogs to escape with the win sending Bulldog Nationa into a frenzy.
Ferguson, Hlywiak, Boston, and Brown combined for 59 of the Bulldogs 79 points. Gordon had nine points and 10 rebounds before fouling out after playing 25 minutes. Redlands finished shooting 40.6% from the field and overcame a 20.6% shooting night from behind the arc and a mere 66.7% from the free-throw line. They posted 40 points in the paint, 21 fastbreak points, 11 second chance points, and added 25 points off turnovers.
Redlands hosts Occidental College this Saturday, January 24 at 5:00 p.m.
