MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[fhsutiger]

Well it had to have been another announcer then, because this Nimrod is actually an Assitant football coach!

[fhsutiger]

Games this weekend:

Laverne @ Redlands  (Redlands by 12)
Cal Lutheran @ Claremont Mudd Scripps (CMS by 8)
Caltech @ Whittier (Whittier by 25)
Pomona Pitzer @ Occidental  (Oxy by 3)

All games start at 7:30pm

[CMSfan]

Eyewitness Report from Claremont

Stags 70, Cal Lutheran 60

Box Score: http://www.cmsathletics.org/sports/winter/mbkb/2009-10/stats/CLU-CMS.HTM

CLU stayed in the game most of the way, even taking a one point lead a few minutes into the second half, but the Stags proved too strong in the end.

Blees once again led the way with 19 and 13.  Anderson had his best offensive game of the season with 16 points on 6-7 shooting.  He once again seemed to be everywhere on the court, tallying three steals and five offensive boards.  At one point when he subbed out, the crowd gave him ovation acknowledging his hustle play after play.  Knudsen and Meier led the way with 19 and 14, respectively.

A couple other observations:

• I think CLU has enough offense to take down anyone in SCIAC, but their defense is so porous that their record doesn't surprise me.
• CLU's point guard seemed over-matched on both sides of the court.  It looks like he has only recently become the starter, so maybe there was an injury.  Regardless, the lack of a solid point really hurts CLU.
• Blees is the Stags MVP, but Joey Anderson's energy, athleticism, and instincts make him just as much of a game-changer.

After Oxy's victory over PP, CMS and Redlands are in 1st with 6-1 records and Oxy and PP are next at 5-2.  The second half gets off to an exciting start on Wednesday, as the Stags travel to Redlands.

[OxyBob]

Eyewitness report from Eagle Rock:

Oxy 64, Pomona 56

Oxy led from start to finish. The Tigers were up 19-4 after 10 minutes, 27-10 at 3:00, and 30-14 at halftime. Tremendous defensive effort by Oxy as they held Pomona to 24% shooting on only 6-for-25 and 0-for-7 3s. Deshun McCoy played his best half of the season. He thwarted Pomona's 2-3 zone with great outside shooting, scored 14 and held PP's Justin Sexton to only 6 in the first half.

In the second half, the Sagehens came out firing and scored the first 7 to cut Oxy's lead to 30-21, but a Jack Hanley jumper, a 3-ball by Eric Leider, and a baseline jumper by Jack Copithorne put the lead right back to 16 at 40-24 at 16:10. After that Oxy's lead stayed between 11 and 16. As the clock ran and things got more desperate, Pomona turned up the pressure with a full court zone press, and cut the lead to 58-51 at 1:15, but Huston Conti, Sean Anderson, and Dave Ostrow hit 6 straight FTs, and Oxy got a well-earned victory.

For Oxy, Deshun McCoy had 17, Sean Anderson scored 13 and had 11 rebounds, and Jack Hanley and Huston Conti each scored 10. Great hard-nosed, all-out defense by Dave Ostrow, Peter Geirlach and Jake Copithorne. Oxy completely shut down Adam Chiamowitz, held him to only 8 points on 3-for-13, and forced him into taking a bunch of bad shots. Oxy outrebounded Pomona 36-27.

For Pomona, Justin Sexton scored 14 and had 6 rebounds, Dave Liss had 18 including three 3-pointers from way outside, and Shawn Stephan played a solid game with 12 points.

Oxy is 13-5 and 5-2 SCIAC. On Wednesday the Tigers are at Whittier (8-9, 2-5). Pomona is 9-9, 5-2. The Sagehens host La Verne (6-12, 2-5) at Rains Center on Wednesday.

OxyBob

[stag44]

Eyewitness Report from Claremont

Stags 70, Cal Lutheran 60

Box Score: http://www.cmsathletics.org/sports/winter/mbkb/2009-10/stats/CLU-CMS.HTM

CLU stayed in the game most of the way, even taking a one point lead a few minutes into the second half, but the Stags proved too strong in the end.

Blees once again led the way with 19 and 13.  Anderson had his best offensive game of the season with 16 points on 6-7 shooting.  He once again seemed to be everywhere on the court, tallying three steals and five offensive boards.  At one point when he subbed out, the crowd gave him ovation acknowledging his hustle play after play.  Knudsen and Meier led the way with 19 and 14, respectively.

A couple other observations:

• I think CLU has enough offense to take down anyone in SCIAC, but their defense is so porous that their record doesn't surprise me.
• CLU's point guard seemed over-matched on both sides of the court.  It looks like he has only recently become the starter, so maybe there was an injury.  Regardless, the lack of a solid point really hurts CLU.
• Blees is the Stags MVP, but Joey Anderson's energy, athleticism, and instincts make him just as much of a game-changer.

After Oxy's victory over PP, CMS and Redlands are in 1st with 6-1 records and Oxy and PP are next at 5-2.  The second half gets off to an exciting start on Wednesday, as the Stags travel to Redlands.

Also was able to sneak out of NYC and catch the game.

Joey Anderson has matured SO much in the last year. As a spot sup for Blees last year, we saw flashes of his energy and athleticism, but this year it is on full display. One thing that is especially awesome is his rebounding. What makes him so special is his ability to get rebounds out of his area, by this I mean tracking the ball after it hits the rim and going to get it. There were multiple occasions where he would just come from no where and simply snatch a rebound away from a flat footed CLU player. On the offensive end he really abused Meier or Van Klaverens feet of the dribble.

The Stags impressed me in this bounceback game. There were no real residual effects from the PP debacle as they came out focused and offensive. When CLU switched to a Zone and switching man to slow the Stags, they hit a little rut, but showed some steely resolve by busting the zone and then put the game away.

Very interesting matchup on Wednesday at Redlands. Preview to follow!

[OxyBob]

This week's Strength of Schedule numbers:

093 Pomona .528
251 La Verne .472
254 Cal Lutheran .477
267 Redlands .477
280 Claremont .477
335 Occidental .459
336 Whittier .453
358 Caltech .448

The Division III tournament selection committee determines strength of schedule using opponents' winning percentage and opponents' opponents' winning percentage. A team's SOS is two-thirds opponents' winning percentage (OWP) and one-third opponents' opponents' winning percentage (OOWP).

407 D-III teams ranked. The number at the beginning of each line is a team's rank in OWP.

For a description of the criteria used to select and seed teams in the D-III NCAA basketball tournament, go here.

OxyBob

[stag44]

CMS @ Redlands - What a way to start the Second Half of SCIAC play. Right away we have a battle for 1st place. Playing at Currier Gym is always a tough thing to do, but the Stags have has success in the recent past, going 8-2 there the last 4 years (winning the Lee Fulmer last year and finishing 3rd in 05-06). Their only loss to Redlands was the 06-07 year where they were swept away by Mazeri and Co, on Redlands way to a surprising 10-4 SCIAC record that year.

Last year was a tough battle between the two @ Redlands. The bulldogs controlled the game early, building to a lead as big as 6 in the 1st half and controlling the boards and tempo. I remember the Stags were able to rally the last 5 minutes of the half and on a Conner Faught 3/4 court shot at the buzzer took a 3 point lead into the half. The Stags came out on fire, building a lead up as large as 13 before, in typical Stag fashion of last year, letting Redlands creep back. Though the FT shooting was suspect, they were able to fend off 2 attempts to win and one to tie by Patrick Coffee and Stephen Call to get the win in the SCIAC opener last year. The point here is that Currier Gym is EXTREMELY loud and tough to play in for any opponent. With 1st place on the line, I expect an absolutely deafening GYM with Redlands fans being extremely hostile to the Stags.

In their first meeting of the year and Ducey, the Stags controlled the early part of the game buidling up a quick 10 point lead, but let Redlands back in it to only lead by 1 at the half. In the second half the Stags jumped on them early and kept the pressure on all game, leading by double figures for most of the second half. Redlands had a mini run with about 6 minutes to go to cut the lead to 6, but that was as close as it would get. Coffee had an INCREDIBLE game. Talking with the Stags, it wasnt bad defense, just simply better offense. This seems like a bit of an anomaly, because in most other games, the Bulldogs have been very balanced offensively. The Stags, though, had 8 players with 6 or more points and all 5 starters had at least 8. That type of balance will make the Stags tough to beat on the road.

In this game, I look for a relatively high scoring affair with lots of runs. It wouldn't surprise me if there was upwards of a 25 point swing between the largest leads of the two teams. Deitrich seems to always play better at home, and the Stags will have to learn from their debacle at PP. This will be their first time back on the road, and they'll be tested by the crowd. I know Scali will have the guys ready, and they will execute under pressure, pulling out a close one 73-69.

Oxy @ Whittier - Very interesting matchup on paper here. Whittier is always tougher at home and provides some interesting matchups for Oxy. Both McCoy and Anderson should be able to control the paint, but the real x-factor for the Tigers will be Hanley. If he can handle the Whittier pressure and guards, they'll win easily. Whittier is a team that if you jump on early will simply go away this year. Last year they had more experience and would battle back, but this year it seems like they are more fragmented and me-oriented. Curious to see what Rock has up his sleeve to be a spoiler in the Second half of SCIAC. Oxy cannot have a let-down game after beating up on PP at home Saturday. They'll need to control tempo and the boards to keep WC frustrated. I think WC will come out with a renewed passion and fluster the Oxy guards and pull out a win here 68-60

ULV @ PP - Looking to bounce back after a poor performance at Oxy, PP will rebound at home vs ULV. Kats has their attention again, and in talking with a couple of the guys, they really felt like they let one slip away on Saturday. They'll come out focused and ready to take on this second half. All the guys have a very sour memory of how the SCIAC second half ended for them last year going 4-3, giving away a SCIAC title after having a 2 game lead late in the race. The win easily with their D and 3 point shooting - 71-57

CLU @ Cal Tech - Talking with Meier after the game on Saturday, the Kingsmen know they have to win out to have a shot at the SCIAC playoffs, where anything can happen. They start their journey at CalTech, and will be focused. Still very tough for me to believe that they have fallen off so hard with the talend they put out on the court. After watching them live, though, I can see why they have struggled. Their offense seems rather stagnant, which I can understand because they have so many good scorers. It seems they are itching to abandon Rider's system and turn it into a pick-up style game while on offense. Defensively, they simply are not quick enough to man and be physical like they usually are. The switching man/2-3 zone hybrid that CLU used to slow CMS seemed to be the most effective for them and with their size and feet. I think Rider will see how it slowed the Stags and try and implement it going forward. It will take something drastic, and that may be a help on their quest to get a SCIAC berth.

Being the 1/2 point in the SCIAC, I have some mid-season Picks:

POY - Chris Blees and Justin Sexton - Probably the easiest of all to choose this
Frosh of the Year - Desean McCoy and Mike Edwards - McCoy has help Oxy become a contender and Edwards could challenge alot of Scoring records if he keeps up this pace.

All SCIAC Team:
Blees
Sexton
Damon Perry
Coffey
Liss

Good luck to the Stags tonight!

[cmsme]

anyonw watching the live stats of CMS Redlands game?  it just went into ot.  very exciting, even with just the stats.    Tejas was right--a lot of runs.
i am keeping my fingers crossed.  It is 87-81, cms.

[OxyBob]

Oxy 70, Whittier 64

Oxy got the win at Whittier. The Tigers led by 64-54 with 5 minutes to go, but the Poets cut the lead to 64-61 on Jonathan Saucedo's 3-ball with 3:35 left. Dave Ostrow hit 6 straight FTs down the stretch for Oxy to seal the victory.

For Oxy, Eric Leider scored 17 including 5-for-7 on 3-pointers, Jack Hanley had 15, and Deshun McCoy scored 12.

For Whittier, Drew Menez scored 21 and David Hayashi had 15.

Oxy is 14-5, 6-2 SCIAC, and is tied for second with Redlands (10-9, 6-2) and Pomona (10-9, 6-2). On Saturday, Oxy plays at Claremont (15-4, 7-1) in the Temple of Doom, Pomona is at Whittier (8-10, 2-6), Redlands hosts Caltech (0-19, 0-8), and La Verne (5-13, 1-7) is at Cal Lutheran (9-10, 3-5).

OxyBob

[stag44]

Just a HUGE win for the Stags last night. I had a feeling that it would be similar to last year, but this time Dietrich hits a 3 to tie it at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. From what I heard, the Gym was an absolutely incredible atmosphere last night.

Blees played huge as usual, going for 26 and 10, but the Stags got production from some unsung guys.. Shane Davis came in off the bench and played incredible, going for 17 on 7-9 from the field and solid performances from Lacey and Bagby.

Something to note though: Its been an issue for a while with the Stags, but the FT% of the team seems to always be a negative. I know its not really a matter of practice - most, if not all, the guys who play shoot 25-50 a day after practice, but more of a mental focus issue. It started with my man Craig Borengasser, who made it an adventure everytime at the line. In the SCIAC semi-final in 07-08, Oxy resorted to fouling with 7 MINTUES to go, down by 15 to rein in the Stags, and it worked. Last night the left 17 points at the line, which hopefully will be enough of a wake up call focus and hit their FTs in crunch time.

Sets up a GREAT game Saturday as well. Oxy @ CMS, or the Temple of Doom. Last time they played at CMS, the Stags absolutely just dropped the ball and gave away a game to the Tigers. We played without any swag or passion in the second half, and Anderson and Hanley led the Tigers back to steal a game. I think alot of the Stags remember that, and we played with a purpose the second game winning 55-33, just pummeling them in the first half 35-13. In their first meeting at Oxy this year.. it was more of the same. CMS jumped out to an early lead, and withstood some Oxy rallies to win.

Predictions and Previews to come..

[OxyBob]

Last time they played at CMS, the Stags absolutely just dropped the ball and gave away a game to the Tigers. We played without any swag or passion in the second half, and Anderson and Hanley led the Tigers back to steal a game.

CMS "gave away" nothing. After a poor shooting first half, Oxy shot 50% FG in the second half, and were 9-for-10 FTs, 13-for-14 in the game. Oxy beat the Stags fair and square. Do you Claremont guys ever graciously accept a defeat?

I can hardly wait for your predictions. Don't tell me, let me guess, you'll predict that Oxy will lose. By the way, good call on ULV and WC games. Keep it up, you're on a roll.

OxyBob

[fhsutiger]

Last time they played at CMS, the Stags absolutely just dropped the ball and gave away a game to the Tigers. We played without any swag or passion in the second half, and Anderson and Hanley led the Tigers back to steal a game.

CMS "gave away" nothing. After a poor shooting first half, Oxy shot 50% FG in the second half, and were 9-for-10 FTs, 13-for-14 in the game. Oxy beat the Stags fair and square. Do you Claremont guys ever graciously accept a defeat?

I can hardly wait for your predictions. Don't tell me, let me guess, you'll predict that Oxy will lose. By the way, good call on ULV and WC games. Keep it up, you're on a roll.

OxyBob

Now...Now...Bob! Don't get your panties in a bunch. As everyone knows, you were the one I believe who coined the term "Temple of Doom" when it came to Ducey Gym when Oxy goes down to Claremont. If I remember that game right, the stags were winning at half and were up by as many as 10 at halftime until Oxy and Jack Hanley woke up and went on a roll. I will give the tigers credit that night, they just wanted it more than the Stags did. I don't have the stats in front of me right now, but what is the record between these two teams the last few years. Let's go back to the Miles Taylor Era, so 4 or 5 years ago. I'm curious to how many times the Stags have won in that Matchup. Just curious, not throwing stones.
I was at the game earlier this year, and CMS dominated on the defensive end. If the stags can continue to play that type of defense in the Temple of Doom I believe they come away with the win. Oxy will be hungry to pick one up on the road and will come ready to play on the road, I just don't think they have the depth to play 40 minutes with the Stags. Hanley, Conti, Anderson, and McCoy are all great players, but will need the bench to pull out a win at CMS. I would give my complete take on the game, but my boy STAG44 gives a better analysis towards matchups and strategy. Just don't give up to much to the pesky tigers Stag44.
Great win last night boys!!!!

[OxyBob]

Let's go back to the Miles Taylor Era, so 4 or 5 years ago. I'm curious to how many times the Stags have won in that Matchup.

I don't remember all of the results with the MT teams, but I'd venture a guess that it was an even split. I do remember the results of one particular game in 2006: Oxy 48, CMS 41. I think stag44 is still bitter about that one.

OxyBob

[stag44]

Last time they played at CMS, the Stags absolutely just dropped the ball and gave away a game to the Tigers. We played without any swag or passion in the second half, and Anderson and Hanley led the Tigers back to steal a game.

CMS "gave away" nothing. After a poor shooting first half, Oxy shot 50% FG in the second half, and were 9-for-10 FTs, 13-for-14 in the game. Oxy beat the Stags fair and square. Do you Claremont guys ever graciously accept a defeat?

I can hardly wait for your predictions. Don't tell me, let me guess, you'll predict that Oxy will lose. By the way, good call on ULV and WC games. Keep it up, you're on a roll.

OxyBob

I think that as we showed in the second game @ Oxy, we showed our true colors and whooped on you guys pretty badly. Oxy did beat us, but I think it was more the Stags making mistakes and not playing smart and being complacent, more than Oxy beating the Stags best game. Trust me, I've watched the film on that game well over 10 times because I was so frustrated with how we played. Your Tigers did make some plays, but at the end of the day it was the Stags poor second half effort that was the difference. You can argue all you want about the stats and what you saw, but I was in that game and still remember it vividly... it was more our ineptitude than anything else that caused that game...

Oxybob, I really like how quiet you were about the game @ Oxy.  

I think that you'll have to agree that the Stags best effort last year and this year will soundly defeat Oxy's best effort.

As for our head to head the last 5 years:

05-06  Oxy 2 CMS 1
06-07  Oxy 1 CMS 1
07-08  Oxy 1 CMS 2
08-09  Oxy 1 CMS 1
09-10  Oxy 0 CMS 1

That puts us at CMS up 6-5 over the last 5 years. Lots of fun and memorable battles between the two squads. I remember as a freshman almost geting as excited for OXY as PP which says alot.

This game has a similar type feel to 05-06 when Oxy came into Ducey during Parents Weekend with essentially the SCIAC on the line. CMS was 10-1, and Oxy was sputtering in at 9-2, having lost to Mazeri and his 57 at Rush. Great atmosphere and highly competitive game the whole way. Parsons really sealed the deal with about 2:30 to go off a broken play ball screen where the paint opend up and he stuffed a dunk that sent the student section into a frenzy. He capped off that night with a THUNDEROUS dunk with 10 seconds to go that really blew the roof off.
Hopefully we'll get a similar type atmosphere as there is 1st place riding on the line.

You KNOW im going with the Stags. Oxy has been a big time surprise, and with Newhall as the mastermind, he'll always get the most out of his players, but the Stags just have too much talent and depth at home to let this one slip away. Toney, Blees, Lacey, Bagby all remember the feeling in the locker room after the L last year, and don't want to have that feeling again.

[fhsutiger]

AWWWWW SNAP! I think that is how the boys say it. Sorry Stag44, I don't know what else to say except that you did win a conference Championship outright since then. Looks like the Stags may win another one this year as well.