SCIAC Showdown
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2008) – It’s not the season-finale, but it is sure to be a Championship atmosphere tonight in Rush Gymnasium tonight as Division III nationally ranked, first place Occidental College (6-1) hosts second place Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (5-2) in what is sure to be an exciting Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game.
In a poll released Monday, Occidental jumped back into the Top-25 teams in the nation as # 20. Earlier this year the Tigers nabbed the 21st spot after breaking into the rankings at # 25 following week five.
In the SCIAC season opener on Jan. 12 at Ducey Gymnasium the Stags handed the Tigers their only loss of 2008 in a 55-42 game, dropping them from the national poll. Oxy struggled from the field, shooting just 28% overall and 58.8% from the free throw line, while the Stags put together a 44.2 team field goal shooting percentage with a combined 80% free throw average on the night. The Stags also out-rebounded the Tigers by a 37-28 margin.
Since that game the Tigers have gone 6-0 with a 48.8 team field goal percentage (42.5 % from three-point range) and a 73.3 free-throw percentage, and lead the SCIAC in all aforementioned categories.
During that span Occidental has been led by senior guard Connor Whitman who is averaging 16.3 points per game has been phenomenal at the line with a 92.6 free-throw percentage (25-for-27) and from long range with a 52.8 percent 3FG percentage. Whitman has a team-leading 11 steals, adding 16 assists in those games and was named the SCIAC Athlete of the Week twice so far in 2007-08, the latter coming after wins over PP and CLU.
Six-foot-ten sophomore transfer Sean Anderson, who was named the SCIAC Athlete of the Week last week after averaging 18.5 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game, has been a defensive force in the paint all season for the Tigers while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, scoring 12.3 points per game.
Huston Conti has come into his own with 11.7 points per game, 10 assists, 10 steals and an 85.7 free-throw percentage (12-14). Chris Hunt is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game, also averaging double-figure scoring with 11.3 points per game. Chris Pitcher and Joe Sasich have put up big numbers for the Tigers as well with 66.7 and 70.0 field goal percentages, respectively. Sasich was shut down due to illness, but not before earning SCIAC Athlete of the Week honors for his performances against Caltech and Redlands. Gemayal McBride has dished out 27 assists and is a defensive nuisance on the court, changing the pace of games.
Three weeks ago when the teams met the Stags’ Dan Winterbottom and Austin Soldner shared the scoring lead with 14 apiece while Oxy’s Whitman scored a team-high 12 points with Sasich adding 11.
Whinterbottom and Chris Blees have led the CMS offense this season with 12.1 and 10.1 points per game. Blees is a 79.1 percent free-throw shooter (34-43) and is 51.4 percent from the field. Winterbottom is shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 70.3 percent from the line (45-64). Connor Faught and Soldner will shoot from outside having made 13-for34 and 18-for-59 three-pointers, respectively. Craig Borengasser is a defensive threat with 11 blocks and 6.8 rebounds per game. Austin Soldner has a team-leading 39 assists and 33 steals.
Occidental is currently 16-2 overall with their only losses coming at the hands of NAIA Azusa Pacific and CMS. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps enters the game with an 11-7 overall record and sits tied with Cal Lutheran (15-3, 5-2) in SCIAC action. CMS lost back-to-back decisions at home against their biggest rival, Pomona-Pitzer, in a tight 54-52 game before falling 55-42 to the Kingsmen on Jan. 19 and 23, respectively.
These four teams will battle to remain atop the SCIAC with the hopes of competing in the first ever Post Season Tournament to determine the SCIAC representative in NCAA post season play. Whittier (10-8, 3-4) and Redlands (8-10, 3-4) are currently tied for fifth place in the SCIAC standings.
Head Coach Brian Newhall expects another tough game. When asked about the re-match, Newhall shared, “CMS is one of the top defensive teams in the nation. Not only are they extremely well coached but they boast an outstanding group of seniors.”
After being physically dominated the first time around, Oxy is prepared for the challenge ahead of them tonight. “Our players have worked extremely hard during the past few weeks, continuing to improve and grow as a unit and we anticipate a competitive and physical game tonight on our home court.”
