BRONXVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 21, 2023) – Led by another standout offensive performance from junior guard
Aamari Smith (Decatur, Ga. / San Bernardino Valley), the Whittier College men's basketball team pushed Sarah Lawrence College on Tuesday night in final game of the Poets' New York City road trip.
Both team played a competitive game from the opening tip, with Whittier finding greater success with a faster rate of play. The Poets even went on to outscore the Gryphons, 37-36 in the second half behind 12 second-half points from Smith and 11 from junior guard
Roy Kalu (Boston, Mass. / Roxbury CC). Kalu, in particular, has really found his game back east, averaging 16 points per game over the Poets' three-game stint. Tuesday proved to be no exception, and the junior transfer did plenty of damage at the free throw line, shooting a perfect 7-for-7. He's also managed to do it while averaging just a shade over 20 minutes per game.
The Poets' proficiency at the free throw line isn't just exclusive to Kalu, however, as the Poets shot a collective 22-for-27 from the charity stripe. Juxtapose this to a 13-for-30 performance in the season opener against the University of California, Santa Cruz, and it is clear the team is making progress in this area. Sarah Lawrence, however, ultimately succeeded in slowing down the Poets' frenetic pace, as Tuesday marked the first time in five games the Poets have scored under 70 points. This resulted in a game that would come down to the final few possessions, and a late three-point play from Kalu, plus a timely triple from junior wing
Jake Estep (Portland, Ore. / Umpqua CC) gave the Purple & Gold a chance to capitalize in the game's final stages. Estep proved to be huge during this stretch, scoring five of his eight points in the game's final minutes.
Smith's 27 points may not have been enough to sink to Gryphons, but they did mark the fourth time in five games the junior has eclipsed 20 points. He is also the SCIAC's defacto scoring leader, averaging more than 21.2 points per game through the first leg of the season. Tuesday also marked the fourth time in five games the Poets have won the turnover battle, this time turning the ball over just 14 times to Sarah Lawrence's 18. Strong back court play has keyed the Poets during this stretch, and as long as they can continue to take care of the basketball, good things could be on the horizon.
Head Coach Mark Jensen and the Poets will head home, and are set to open SCIAC play on the road against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!
