LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2023) – The Whittier College men's basketball showed once again it could score an electric clip, putting up 84 points at Life Pacific University on Tuesday evening.
The Poets' top offensive weapons saw increased usage against the Warriors, and responded in kind. Junior
Aamari Smith (Decatur, Ga. / San Bernardino Valley) put up 25 points while once against shooting just south of 50 percent from the field. He also got more involved as a facilitator with five steals, and perhaps as importantly as anything, keyed the offense without committing a single turnover. In fact, the junior transfer is yet to commit a single turnover through his first two games playing in the Purple & Gold. He also showed improvement from the free throw line, making it a perfect 5-for-5 against the Warriors.
Whittier's slightly increased offensive output from Game 1 to Game 2 perhaps lies in a greater level of efficiency on the fast break, as the Poets put up 16 points in transition. In addition to Smith, senior forward
Nick Manor-Hall (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills) put up 16 points before fouling out, and junior transfer
Jake Estep (Portland, Ore. / Umpqua CC) proved once again he can fill a sixth-man scoring role on the wing, scoring 15 points while leading his side with four three-pointers.
As active as the Poets were offensively, their aggressive approach to the defensive facet of the game did not result in the Warriors committing the amount of turnovers necessary for the visitors to launch a game-changing run. However, Whittier did manage to win the turnover battle for a second game in a row, committing just eight turnovers to Life Pacific's 12 while maintaining a clean game of basketball.
Other Whittier contributors included senior point guard
Kevin Dobson (Corona, Calif. / San Diego Christian College) and freshman guard
Sean Cervantes (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / La Mirada), who were both particularly active in getting their teammates the ball in big offensive moments. Dobson finished the game with seven assists to go with six points, while Cervantes had five assists to go with his five points.
Head Coach Mark Jensen and the Poets will take their quest for victory to the east coast, playing three games in the state of New York beginning on Saturday, Nov. 18 with the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
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