ORANGE, Calif. (Nov. 23, 2024) – A much improved defensive showing led to the Whittier College men's basketball team downing its second NCAA opponent of the season, finishing 1-1 at this weekend's Chapman Invitational. The Poets defeated Texas Lutheran University, 77-66, with the Purple & Gold showcasing balance at all ends of the floor.
Whittier actually entered the second half down a point to the Bulldogs, but by capping their opponents from down south to just 30 second half points, the Poets were able to string together enough important runs down the stretch to outscore Texas Lutheran, 42-30, over the final 20 minutes. Senior guard
Aamari Smith (Decatur, Ga. / Roosevelt / San Bernardino Valley College) led once again for the Poets, albeit in more unorthodox fashion, as he not only scored a team-high 20 points but also came up with three out of six Whittier blocks for the game. Behind the star senior, several players found their role and played it to perfection to help lift Whittier over the finish line.
Junior transfer
Jaden Mathis (Pasadena, Calif. / Pasadena / Palomar College) started for the Poets, and in just 16 minutes of action picked up 12 points, all of which came from beyond the arc or at the free throw line. Additionally, senior point guard
Andrew Milot (Murrieta, Calif. / Balboa / Knox College), who figures to continue to be an important part of Whittier's plans this year, provided further supplemental scoring with 14 points to go with four assists and two steals while shooting 50 percent from the field. Meanwhile, senior center
Tyler Watters (Aurora, Colo. / Grandview / West Valley Community College) stepped up once again in what figures to be a pivotal campaign for him. The 6-foot-8 center showed he handle himself in the paint with six points and a game-high 14 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.
For a second consecutive game, the Poets showed they can take care of the basketball while driving offensive efficiency metrics. On Saturday, they committed just nine turnovers while forcing Texas Lutheran into committing 17 themselves. Whittier scored 17 points off turnovers, and similar to the Linfield University victory to open the year, the Poets came on strong down the stretch, scoring 12 unanswered points to zoom past the Bulldogs over the final two minutes. Four different players scored during this stretch with junior guard
Chine Nwanevu (Eastvale, Calif. / Norco / San Bernardino Valley College) capping the game with one final slam on the fastbreak as the exclamation point to an excellent all-around team showing.
Head Coach
Mark Jensen and the Poets will look to make it four wins in five games to start the 2024-25 campaign when they host Southern California Leadership University on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m.
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