LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dec. 28, 2025) – The Whittier College men's basketball team closed out its run at the D3Hoops.com Classic with a competitive showing against Bridgewater State University on Sunday afternoon, falling 88–74 in the Poets' final game of 2025 at the South Point Arena.
Whittier stayed within striking distance throughout the contest, trailing by just 10 points at the break and matching the Bears with 37 points in the second half. The Poets found success attacking the paint and getting to the free-throw line, but Bridgewater State's early shooting efficiency and second-chance opportunities proved to be the difference.
The standout performance of the afternoon belonged to Tochi Onyeador (Amuri, Nigeria / MEC / Los Medanos College), who delivered a dominant effort on the glass. Onyeador pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds, the most by any SCIAC player in a single game this season, while adding nine points and anchoring Whittier's interior presence on both ends of the floor.
Jonathan Duley (Rocklin, Calif. / Del Oro / Cuyamaca College) continued his strong scoring stretch, leading Whittier with 18 points to mark his third straight game with at least 18. Peyton Guerrero (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Ocean View / Cypress College) added 16 points on efficient shooting, tying his NCAA career high in field goals made, while Jaden Mathis (Pasadena, Calif. / Pasadena / Palomar College) and Brandon Andrews (Houston, Texas / Clear Brook / Palomar College) chipped in nine and seven points, respectively.
Despite the result, the Poets showed resilience late, outscoring Bridgewater State at the free-throw line in the second half and continuing to compete through the final buzzer as they wrapped up a strong stretch against some top-tier non-conference opponents.
Whittier concludes 2025 with an 8–3 overall record and will return to conference play in the new year. Head Coach Mark Jensen and the Poets are set to resume SCIAC action on Saturday, January 3rd, when they travel to Los Angeles to face Occidental College at 2 p.m.
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