Photo by samsphotoservices.com

Pomona, CA – Occidental fought hard against CMS this Saturday in a nail-biting game that turned into a win for the Tigers, 79-66. 

The game started out strong with two three-pointers being shot and made by Aiden Williams. Now, with the starting line-up all back in play, the team's synergy was off the charts. 

Shortly into the first half the announcers of the game were quick to point out the consistent back and forth between the two teams - both sides having strong defenses that led to a rather high amount of rebounds during the game. Additionally, Kyle Dosa's jump shots were particularly stellar this time around. 

The Stags, however, were having a hard time shooting during the first half, resulting in a struggle to keep up with Oxy's offense. Quick to take advantage of this fault, Oxy was able to keep up with the team's scoring. By the end of the half both teams were tied 32-32. 

Into the second half, it became clear that both teams were giving their all. With 13:34 on the clock Oxy was down, 42-46, and was unable to bring their points up to CMS's score until 10 minutes were left. Hollerich was especially popping off, scoring a total of 26 points - the most points scored by any player in the entire game. It was not until Sydney Shipp made a layup with three minutes left in the game that the two teams tied again. When Willaims made a three point shot putting the team at 67-64, the Tigers could really see their prospects of winning and put forth their full force. 

In the last few minutes, CMS became more aggressive, counterintuitively allowing Oxy more opportunities to shoot. In the last 50 seconds of the game, Shipp, Williams, and Hollerich were each awarded one if not multiple free throws, all three making 100% of their shots. This put Oxy up 79-66. 

In the last 17 seconds, CMS had a turnover that allowed Oxy to drain the clock and end with a 14 point lead. Congrats to our Tigers for a great win. 

Next game: Come see the Tigers play Cal Lutheran University at Occidental College at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 2nd.