Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

REDLANDS, Calif. – The Whittier College men's basketball team opened up their 2013-14 season this weekend at the Lee Fulmer Memorial Tip-Off Classic but fell 69-66 to New Paltz State and 112-96 to George Fox University.

The men's basketball team who has five new faces on the squad with four transfers and a freshman were unable to come away with a victory over the weekend as they dropped a couple of tight contests.

Junior transfer Nick Demusis (Mililani, HI) earned All-Tournament Team recognition after combining for 39 points and six boards in two games.  He was joined by Andrew Joseph (New Paltz), Taylor Soway (New Paltz), AJ Grant (George Fox), and Sean Atkins (George Fox).    

Game 1 (New Paltz State, L 69-66)

Whittier led at the break 35-32 and held a late lead 59-56 with 5:46 remaining in the game but was unable to hold on as the Hawks rallied to take a 66-61 lead with 2:07 remaining before holding on for the three point victory.

Sophomore guard David Richardson (Los Angeles, Calif.) gave the Purple & Gold a 59-56 lead with a fastbreak dunk before the Hawks started their comeback bid.  Alex Perlman scored on a layup on the next possession, got fouled and hit the continuation free throw to pull New Paltz State within one.  Andrew Joseph then hit a jumper with 4:54 remaining to give the Hawks their first lead of the game since the 10:24 mark in the first half.  But Demusis gave the Poets back their lead knocking down a pair of free throws.

New Paltz State then rallied with five unanswered to go up 66-61 but again Demusis came up big knocking down a three ball on the Poets next possession that pulled the Purple & Gold within two.  With 1:03 to play sophomore Eric Jennings (Fontana, Calif.) converted on a pair of free throws that cut the deficit to one.  Joseph would knock down one of two free throws on the Hawks next possession to increase the lead to two and then with seven seconds remaining the Poets had a couple final looks for the win, but Ben Maynard's (La Canada, Calif.) and Demusis' three pointers would miss allowing New Paltz State to come away with the three point victory.

Whittier used a 6-0 run early in the first half to take a 19-14 lead at the 9:19 mark, Eric Goedde (Longmont, CO) then responded a minute later with his own run scoring five unanswered that put Whittier on top by seven.  New Paltz State would tie the game up twice before the half but a Dylan Irwin (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Jennings free throw would push the advantage to three for the Poets at the break.

Whittier would increase their lead to seven on two separate occasions in the second half but New Paltz State would use a 10-5 run midway through the half to pull within two before they started their comeback.

Poets shot 41.4 percent from the field but was hampered from long range shooting just 19:2 percent.  The Hawks held a slight 36-34 advantage on the glass and for the game Whittier had 19 turnovers. 

Demusis totaled a team high 14 points, while Irwin and Goedde had 13 and 11 points, each respectively coming off the bench.  Sophomore Michael Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) and Irwin collected game high tying seven rebounds each, while Jennings boasted a stat line that included seven points, six steals, and four assists.

Sowah for the Hawks finished with a game high 15 points, while Taldi had 13.  Joseph had seven rebounds and Perlman dished out five assists.       

Game 2 (George Fox, L, 112-96) 

In a high scoring affair, ten players combined to record double figures but the Bruins of George Fox University shot .527 from the field and made 14 three pointers en route to the sixteen point victory.

Jennings gave the Poets an early lead 3-2 with a three pointer but that was the only lead Whittier would obtain as the Bruins would rattle off 14 unanswered points to go up 16-3 in the first five minutes of the game.  The lead would increase to 20 with 10:17 remaining in the half before leading 60-35 at the break.

Whittier got the deficit under 20 with 14:57 to play in the second half with a three from Demusis.  Jennings would add another three ball for the Poets that moved the deficit to 16 82-66 with 11:46 to go but a 14-4 run over the next three minutes by George Fox would move the score to 96-70 their biggest lead of the game squashing any hopes of a come from behind victory for the Purple & Gold.

The Poets did however score the final seven points of the contest with a three pointer coming from William Hougan (Chino, Calif.) and a couple jumpers from Irwin and Alvarez but it wouldn't be enough as they would fall 112-96.

Whittier saw five players reach double figures including Demusis (25), Jennings (21), Richardson (13), Jacob Porter (Temecula, Calif.) (12), and Maynard (11).  Whittier held a 36-35 advantage on the glass thanks to Porters seven boards, while Richardson dished out seven assists with three steals.

Whittier remains on the road as they travel to West Coast Baptist this Thursday, November 21 beginning at 7:00pm.