Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2021) – Senior guard Ahmad Young (Sunnyvale, Calif. / De Anza College) of the Whittier College men's basketball team had a nice day offensively, scoring 21 points for the visiting Poets against Caltech on Saturday afternoon.

Young, who played in all but four minutes of Saturday's game for Whittier, did most of his damage in the second half with the Poets looking to catch Caltech after a more methodical pace to the game over the first 20 minutes. The senior would go on to make a jumper that cut the Beavers' lead to eight with 4:25 remaining in regulation, but that would be as close as the Poets would come to claiming their first SCIAC victory of the season as the Beavers held their own defensively while finding their stroke from the outside. Young, along with junior guard Bryant Howing (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Rio Hondo College) flashed their own outside game, however, connecting on three triples apiece. Howing finished Saturday's contest with 15 points in his own right. 

Whittier did manage to outrebound Caltech thanks in large part to Young coming within two rebounds of his first double-double of the young season, though freshman Brent Smith (Atlanta, Ga. / Archer) and junior transfer Jordan Kanoe (San Antonio, Texas / Santa Monica College) also did their part with seven rebounds apiece. Kanoe also picked up 11 points and four assists in a game where he was asked to do a little bit of everything. He also came away with one steal and one block on the defensive end of things. The Poets, who recorded assists on half of their converted field goals, were able to capitalize on the extra opportunities afforded to them, doubling up the Beavers in the points off turnovers department, and managed to do so while staying out of foul trouble. In fact, Saturday's contest yielded a largely clean game with both teams combining for just 20 total fouls just three games removed from the Poets committing 28 fouls themselves against Bethesda University back in November.

Head Coach Mark Jensen and the Poets will have the week to make the necessary adjustments before returning to Dave Jacobs Court on Saturday, Dec. 11 to host George Fox University at 2 p.m.

Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!