LAS VEGAS — Occidental (6-1, 1-0 SCIAC) fell to Central College (6-5, 0-3 American Rivers) 82-69 on Monday night at South Point Arena. The Tigers struggled to contain Central's interior offense, allowing 46 points in the paint. Despite a strong rebounding effort with 39 total boards, the team couldn't overcome a five-point halftime deficit. Central's nine 3-pointers proved pivotal in securing their victory.
Occidental opened the first half with a strong start, jumping to a 5–0 lead through a jumper by
Alex McCleery Brown and a layup by
Nicky Clotfelter after a steal.
Nasir Luna contributed significantly, hitting a 3-pointer at the 17:03 mark to extend the lead to 8–3. Despite maintaining a lead for much of the half, the Tigers faced a fierce challenge from the Dutch, who managed to tie the game multiple times and eventually edged ahead. The half ended with Occidental trailing 39–34.
Occidental made a strong push in the second half with a burst of scoring led by Brown, who completed consecutive layups at 6:44 and 6:37 to tighten the contest. Despite a determined effort with 20 rebounds and forcing nine turnovers from Central, the Tigers faced challenges in containing their opponents' shooting accuracy, as Central connected on 17 of their 26 attempts, including six 3-pointers. The half concluded with Central maintaining their lead, closing the half 43–35, and securing an 82–69 victory.
Clotfelter recorded 19 points and contributed three blocks, adding two steals to his performance.
Ethan Hanning scored 16 points and made two shots from beyond the arc. Luna added 13 points while collecting two steals and three assists. Brown tallied six points and grabbed six rebounds, along with two steals.
Central Top Performers
Kyle Cason
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- 26 points
- 11/16 field goals made
- 3 assists
Owen Schipper
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- 18 points
- 10 rebounds
- 5 assists
Grant Uecker
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- 13 points
- 5/8 field goals made
- 5 rebounds
Alex Ruba
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- 13 points
- 5/6 field goals made
- 7 rebounds
The Tigers will look to bounce back tonight (12/30) as they take on the MSOE Raiders at 8:00PM to wrap up the D3Hoops.com Classic.
