Right from the opening tip, the Bulldogs showcased an aggressive style of play, driving to the basket and swinging the ball to the open man. Their dynamic approach was complemented by a three-quarter court press. The Bulldogs took an early lead, going up by four points in the first half. However, the Sagehens, playing on their home court, went on a commanding 40-18 run with just over two minutes remaining in the opening half. As the buzzer sounded for halftime, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing by 13, the score standing at 48-35.
Both teams came back out to start the second half of play, but the Bulldogs came out of the locker room with a new intensity, reducing the deficit to two points. Senior Guard Neil Owens played a big part in the comeback, scoring back-to-back buckets and finished the game as the team’s leading scorer. Both sides went back and forth, trading baskets and timeouts. However, Pomona-Pitzer pulled away in the closing stages, getting the victory at home with the final score standing at 93-84.
After the game, Senior Forward Khyree Armstead sat down to answer a few questions. When asked about his thoughts on Owens’ performance and how he has been able to contribute for the Bulldogs this season, he said, “Neil plays with a composure that not a lot of ball players have. His ability to score at all three levels makes it nearly impossible for opposing teams to scout or guard him.”
In his second year with the program, Armstead has averaged 11.7 points per game. When asked about the things that stand out since transferring to Redlands, he spoke how “the biggest difference between junior college and university is the culture. I had a lot more individual goals at Juco. But last year, as a junior [at Redlands] I played for my seniors, and now that I’m a senior, I’m doing my best as a leader to have underclassmen adapt to a team, brother-first mentality. Being here has taught me a lot of characteristics and traits I’ll need in the future.”
Finally, when asked about his and the team’s expectations and goals heading into the last couple weeks of the regular season, he noted, “The team’s goal is to win out. We have been making good progress on making the necessary adjustments to win games. Claremont is a must win for us to keep our playoff hopes alive.”
With just 5 games left in the SCIAC regular season, the Bulldogs currently stand sixth in the table, with their next game against a number 2 ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. The Stags came to town on Feb. 7, in a must-needed victory for Head Coach Eric Bridgeland and the Bulldogs.
