LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 6, 2008) –
Energy. Excitement. Enthusiasm. They all tore through Rush
Gymnasium tonight where there was more at stake on the court than
would meet the eye by looking at the match up. With Occidental
College hosting Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference foe Pomona-Pitzer it may have appeared as just another
SCIAC game. In reality, it was not. In round one of the NCAA
Division III Post Season Tournament the Tigers erased a 15 point
deficit en route to a 52-51 victory at home, earning a ticket to
Washington for the second round of play.
After splitting the season-series, with each
team winning on the other team's home court it was sure to be
a battle, and that is just what it was.
A lop-sided first half saw the Sagehens start
things off with a 14-3 run, opening the largest gap of the contest,
24-9, with 5:06 to play in the first half.
Occidental wasn't giving up so quickly though, as the Tigers
went on a 13-0 run from that point to go into the locker room down
by only a pair as 24-22.
The second half saw nine lead changes. At the
13:30 mark Huston Conti sank a three, giving the
Tigers their first lead of the night at 32-31. Oxy and
Pomona-Pitzer battled from that point until the end with the lead
never more than four points for either team.
Trailing 51-47 with 1:57 to play, senior guard
Connor Whitman accounted for the final five
unanswered points of the game, giving the Tigers a 52-51 victory.
Oxy's tough defense in the final 29 seconds sealed the deal
for the Tigers, capped off by a Conti block on the final attempt of
the game for the Sagehens.
Occidental's second half defense was key
forcing six second half turnovers, making stops, getting loose
balls and grabbing rebounds.
Whitman led all Tigers with seven rebounds
while Chris Pitcher and Chris
Hunt finished with six and five, respectively. Whitman and
Pitcher each added a pair of steals as well while Pitcher handed
out four assists to lead all Oxy players.
Conti and Gyan Alexander were
key players in holding the Sagehens to 19-for-55 (34%) shooting
from the field. Additionally the Tigers extended their perimeter
defense forcing Pomona-Pitzer into a 6-for-24 (25%) three-point
shooting night.
The Tigers shot 42.9 percent from the field,
making 12-for-28 shots as opposed to 9-for-27 shooting in the
opening period. Whitman was shut-down in the first half, but came
back strong in the second stanza with 15 points, to lead the
Tigers.
“As a senior you can't get down
about missing shots,” Whitman said following the game.
“You have to just keep shooting and hope they go in.”
They did that tonight for Whitman and the
Tigers. Additionally, when Whitman was being double teamed he would
look to and find the open man, dishing out three assists in the
game as well.
When asked about facing the same team for the
third time Whitman shared, “It is hard. You come into the
game knowing what they are going to try to do. It all comes down to
execution. Tonight we were able to execute when it came down to the
wire.”
Pitcher added, “We came out tonight
seeking revenge. They came into our house and humiliated us during
SCIAC play. Tonight we were pumped up and ready to play and we
proved ourselves.”
The electricity of the crowd coupled with the
desire to win got the Tigers going in the second half for a
come-from-behind thriller.
The Sagehens were led by Justin Sexton who was
the only PP played in double figures with 20. Jabarri Reynolds
finished with a game-high 12 boards. Pomona-Pitzer's season
ends with a 15-13 overall record.
Tonight the Tigers, who have appeared in the
NCAA Post season four of the last six years, moved one step closer
to Salem, Virginia where a National Champion will be crowned on
March, 22.
Occidental, who improves to 22-5, will travel
to Spokane, Wash. To play Whitworth University (20-6) at 7:00 p.m.
on Saturday, March, 8 in the second round.
