Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

ORANGE, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2022) – The Whittier College men's basketball team put it all together in Wednesday night's SCIAC Postseason Tournament, forcing overtime with second-seeded Chapman University on the road.

The seventh-seeded Poets needed to play a fundamentally sound game in order to have a chance at pulling off the upset, but they had already proven they can compete with Chapman, coming within one possession of stealing one from the SCIAC regular-season runner-up earlier this month. Ultimately, all of Whittier's key contributors played a part in the big effort, and four different players finished the game with at least 15 points. Senior guard Ahmad Young (Sunnyvale, Calif. / De Anza College), fresh off of learning today he had made Second-Team All-SCIAC, led the way with nine points in a very important first-half where the Poets showed they could answer for anything the Panthers had to send their way. During this stretch, Whittier opted for the long ball early and often, but when they couldn't get the threes to fall, the offense adjusted and did more than enough early to give the visitors a chance late.

As crunch time drew near, Whittier's seniors carried them, stepping up when they were most needed. In addition to Young, seniors Nick Colosi (La Mirada, Calif. / La Mirada) and Kyle Price (Rocklin, Calif. / Cal Maritime Academy) also left it all on the floor, combining for 37 points with each player picking up a double-double in the final game of their careers. Nevertheless, the Panthers kept the pressure on well into the second half, leading by 10 with just over four minutes to go, necessitating some Whittier magic. Over the final four minutes of regulation, the Poets outscored the Panthers 14-4, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Chapman in order to work themselves back into contention. With time working against them, the Poets got within two of the Panthers, and needing a stop, junior wing Jordan Kanoe (San Antonio, Texas / Santa Monica College) came through with a block that resulted in the Panthers getting the ball back. While the junior's big play didn't directly result in a Whittier takeaway, it did throw the Panthers off-balance enough that they surrendered a defensive rebound going back the other way, which resulted in an emphatic dunk from Kanoe off a feed from Price. Kanoe's bold play, which tied the game at 75, would be enough for the Poets to force overtime, putting the SCIAC runner-up on the brink.

For the majority of the five extra minutes, the Poets had an answer for everything the Panthers could dish out, just as they had throughout the first 40 minutes. A three-pointer from Kanoe just over a minute into the extra period even gave the Poets a one-point lead to protect over the final 3:45. In the end, however, Whittier ran out of gas and would end up ceding the closest, most competitive game of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament quarterfinals to the host Panthers. Despite the season-ending defeat, the Poets have a lot to be excited about heading into the 2022-23 season. Junior guard Bryant Howing (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Rio Hondo College), who gave the Poets nine points off the bench, will be back along with a host of other talented Poets who will look to lead the Purple & Gold back to the postseason.

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