Mike Archuletta '09 led all scorers with 20 points as Whittier
College kept its playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 74-70
overtime triumph against the University of Redlands in the Graham
Athletics Center on February 16. The win puts the Poets just
one game back of the fourth and final playoff spot with three games
to play.
Archuletta also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and blocked
two shots for the Poets (12-10, 5-6). Marcus Gibson '09 hit
four three-pointers and finished with 16 points. He pitched
in on defense with two steals. Jeff McLean '09 filled the
stat sheet with ten points, six rebounds, three assists, three
blocked shots and a steal. Vernon Covington '08 had eight
points, four rebounds four steals, two assists and a blocked
shot.
Redlands (10-12, 5-6) was lead by Matt Dietrich, who posted a
double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Matt Loretz was
the team's leading scorer with 15 points. Patrick Coffey
finished with eleven points and four assists.
With the Poets up by five 2:30 into the game, Redlands went on a
13-3 run that gave them a five-point lead of their own with 10:31
left in the first half. The game remained close; Whittier
regained the lead with five minutes left, but never by more than
four points. They went into the locker room with a narrow
31-29 edge.
Gibson hit a three to open the second half to increase the lead to
five, but once again the Bulldogs came back with a 10-0 run to give
themselves a five-point advantage. The lead changed hands two
more times. Redlands was up two (50-48) with 5:42 left in
regulation, when it looked like they might break the game
open. An 11-4 run gave them a nine-point edge (61-52) with
just over three minutes to play, but the Poets fought back.
McLean scored five points in the midst of a 9-0 run that was capped
by an alley-oop from Bill Ritter '08 to Covington, sending the game
into overtime.
Whittier controlled the overtime period, jumping out to a
four-point lead they would not relinquish. Gibson hit a pair
of free throws with one minute left to increase the lead to
six. Ritter closed the game with a pair of free throws with
ten seconds left. Four of his eight points came on free
throws in overtime.
The Poets continue their charge for a spot in the SCIAC Tournament
on February 20, when they take on the team they are chasing,
Pomona-Pitzer, who sits in the fourth place spot with a 6-5
conference record. The game tips-off from Claremont, Calif.,
at 7:30pm.
