MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[etule]

I think Whittier gets La Verne. La Verne has a couple of good guards but I think the pressure gets to them and Whitter wins easy!

[stag44]

Fun slate of games tonight in the SCIAC

CMS @ Pomona
The headline matchup of the night! Anytime CMS PP meet, it usually is the marquee game given the rivalry and how successful the programs have been over the last 10-12 years. Tonight is no different as there are a variety of storylines on the tape - Does CMS continue their magical undefeated run? Who takes the inside track as sole 1st place in SCIAC? Does PP avenge their first loss to CMS at Rains in 5 years? How much will the crowd play a factor? Will Blees and Maciera as they usually do against PP? Does PP and their relatively unknown set of players band together for the upset? How does the Kats-Scali chess match play out? Will it be a high scoring affair or similar to 09-10 with a game with 83 total points scored.

Lets try and tackle some of these story lines:

For the last 13 years, Scali and Kats have been coaching against each other and I don't know the exact record, but if I had to guess it would be something like 16-13 with Pomona having the edge. Since 05-06, PP has the edge 8-7. They both know each other so well and they change very little in their offensive and defensive schemes.

For Pomona: expect them to shoot ALOT of 3s and at a high rate. They run a very nice flex/motion offense where shooters often set a screen to receive one or 2 for a 3. They also penetrate and pitch very well. Often their lead guards don't even look to finish around the rim, but rather draw 2, and pass to the open shooter. It's not the most complex scheme, but they execute well. Defensively they have continue to be a team that sticks to their principles and make CMS beat them with the jump shot. On made baskets, expect a soft 2-2-1 press to take time off the clock and for them to fall in to a soft 2-3 zone. They close to shooters but really focus on prevent high post and short corner touches. Its a defense predicated on keeping teams out of the paint. On misses, they fall back into a very soft man. They play "toes" defense where their toes usually do not venture outside the 3pt line. They go under all screens and will force the Stags to shoot 3s and contested jumpers. They gang rebound and then will opportunistically try and run in transition. The KEY for them will be to keep the Stags off the offensive glass and out of the key. They will really sag off Blees and do their best to make him a shooter. This will be a little more difficult as Blees plays on the block some more this year.

For CMS: expect them to come out playing a very physical brand of basketball. This year they haven't been as well regarded for their rugged defense as in the past due to their offensive prowess. They still have a top-5 national defensive ppg allowed, and top 10 rebound margin, which shows that they still are playing physical Scali-ball. They are slightly undersized, but this actually provides better matchups for them on defense against PP as they can cover the "Dirk-like" bigs that Pomona usually has. They will hound the ball for 94 feet, nothing crazy with traps, but PP ball handlers will be feeling guard pressure the entire game. While it doesn't cause many TO's it wears down their legs through 40 minutes. In the half court, the Stags will need to pressure the passer and more importantly not allow screeners to make a straight line to their spot. If they are able to disrupt timing by bumping cutters and screeners while being physical chasing shooters over screens, it will cause PP to have trouble scoring the ball. Then when the shot goes up, it becomes paramount that all 5 come to the boards and rebound. Sexton killed them in 09/10 with 25 rebs, and in 06 Nate Porter caused all sorts of problems with his o-board tips. This is the situation where PP can get open 3s and really change momentum.

In transition, the Stags must get some easy baskets. If they can get 8-12pts on the break they should win. The other key will be FTs. They have been getting to the line at a very high rate, but missing alot of FTs. In a tight and hotly contested game, these will be paramount. On the offensive side, they KEY remains hitting jumpshots and finding ways into the paint. They really need to focus on setting fade screens and taking up all the space PP will give them to screen. If they do so, they should be running their motion in a tight box. This will cause the PP team to have to close out harder off screens and open passing and driving lanes for the Stags.

It will be VERY interesting to see how Maciera and Blees handle the game. In 06/07 Maciera played hard, but pressed a bit much as he felt he needed carry all the scoring load for the Stags. Blees has had some very efficient games and some high volume shooting games vs PP. @ PP though, his best game was arguably as a freshman. In his soph and jr years, he struggled, going a combined 8 for 29 as the PP defense really focused on him. The key to his success remains being efficient with his dribbles, passing out of doubles, and keeping his composure. He can't think he has to score 26 to win - instead getting 12 and 10 assists will be far better for the Stags. Fouls will be difficult to draw in this atmosphere, and instead of going against 2 or 3 Sagehens, he should look to sit down and pass to Gaffney, Pinson for 3 or Maciera and Anderson cutting off the ball. I would guess Kats will bring a 2nd defender from either Pinson or Anderson, and possibly Gaffney, so Blees and Maciera will have to recognized where the open man is.

The crowd is something to really consider for this game as well. Classes just started yesterday at all the 5 colleges, so there is limited if any coursework. Friends are all getting together after 1 month, and some 1 semester away from each other. Both teams are undefeated. From what I hear there is a certain buzz around campus that everyone is putting their day on hold to attend this game. With the ruckus crowds and certain emotional swings, the key for the players will be to keep their composure in the atmosphere. There won't be a home court advantage from a noise perspective, but simply from a familiarity in the surroundings. PP tends to keep their composure much better than CMS. Stags are usually over energized and excitable players who really enjoy and feed off the crowd. Its important to do so, but at the same time, if there is a 7-0 run by PP, the Stags have to come together, execute of offense and play as a unit.

It will be a tightly contested game, and I think there will be serious runs from both sides. The team who wins the rebounding battle tends to win this game often. If CMS can get out in transition and knock down a couple of shots early, they should win. The key will be forcing PP into 2pt jump shots and moving them off the 3pt line.

I think CMS wins this game, but not before some close calls.

CMS over PP 64-57 


Redlands @ Oxy
Very intriguing matchup between two teams fighting for a SCIAC playoff berth. While Redlands is 1-2, their 3 games have come against the top 3 teams in the SCIAC, with losses to CMS and PP. Nothing to be ashamed of there. Oxy is just getting into the tough part of their schedule with games Redlands, CMS and Pomona still left on their first half SCIAC schedule.

I really don't know who will win this game. Redlands has had 2 tough losses and will be looking to bounce back, while Oxy was stifled to 46 pts vs Whittier. With Montoya, Hanley, and McCoy, they should have more offensive firepower than 46 points, but Newhall is also a defensive minded coach who doesn't mind grinding it out. With Redlands you get a good dose of Colston inside who went for 20+ against CMS while Kirk and Estrada provide good scoring from the guard positions.

I would expect both teams to be well prepared, but I will be very curious how Newhall vs Ducey goes. Both are very good coaches, but also employ somewhat non-traditional ploys and strategies from time to time. I wouldnt be surprised to see some zone defenses from both teams as well as some soft presses to keep the offense from grinding along.

Should be a fun game to watch and will be curious to hear about an eyewitness report from Rush.

I have Redlands pulling out the win @ Oxy 59-53

Whittier @ ULV
In a matchup of what I consider the two most athletically gifted teams in the SCIAC, I expect to see a serious shootout. Both teams enjoy getting up and down the court and shooting quickly. They both have 4-5 very capable scorers who can go for 20 on any given night. Whittier, though I still have not seen them, continues to light up the scoreboard. They are lead by Drew Menez who is putting up 19ppg along with Easterman, and Preer who can go for 20.

La Verne is led by Trevor Woodland who might be the purest shooter in the SCIAC. There are very few open shots that he misses and his 2nd half performance against CMS was one of the better scoring showcases I have seen in the last 5-6 years. Austin Napolitano is a force on the block while Lay, Veith, and Hoyt are all capable offensively.

The key to this game will lie in how ULV handles the pressure and speed Whittier is forcing teams to play at. If they are able to stay comfortable in the track meet, they have the firepower to keep things close. Whittier is very talented and seems thrive as games get higher scoring. I look for them to win this game going away as they wear down the ULV guards.

Whittier wins a barnburner 94-81

Caltech @ CLU
Cal Lu will overpower Caltech in this game. Van Klaveran is having a very big year on the block for the Kingsmen and they have also received great production out of their freshman Martin Flowers and Mike Harris. While both teams are 0-3, I think we will see a pretty comfortable win from CLU at home. They are going to be hungry for a win and will essentially bully their way to an easy win.

CLU of Caltech 73-49

[stag44]

WOW!!! CMS wins in a DRAMATIC fashion tonight 57-55

Longer update tomorrow morning, but Stags were up by 1 with about 50 seconds when Tyler Gaffney hit a 3 to send them up 4. PP made a layup next time down to draw them within 2. Blees made front end of 1and1 only to miss the 2nd. Stags up 55-52 with 28 seconds. PP runs up the court and then has nothing so Katz calls timeout with 8.9 left on the clock. He draws up an AWESOME play to spring open a player cross court who drills the 3 to tie the game with probably 6 seconds. Without a timeout, Remy Pinson does his best Tyus Edney impersonation and goes the length of the court and scores on a left handed layup with .5 seconds left.  Mayhem ensues, but Pomona calls a time out, runs a play that touches no one, yet the stands clear again. FInally CMS inbounds and game is over!!!

CMS wins 57-55, escaping in one of the BEST CMS-PP finishes. Right up there with 05/06 win by CMS, 06/07 PP win @ CMS, and 07/08 PP win in the SCIAC championship.

Hope both teams get some rest and dont have a let down Saturday night.

[CMSfan]

Instant classic in Claremont.  Electric atmosphere.  Stags fell behind early but battled back late in the first half to pull within one at the break.  Second half was tight the whole way.  I'll let Stag44 give the full recap tomorrow.

Box Score: http://www.pe.pomona.edu/sports/mbkb/2011-12/boxscores/20120118_sk6b.xml

Video: http://www.pe.pomona.edu/sports/mbkb/2011-12/videos/CMS_-_PP.flv

[OxyBob]

Claremont 57, Pomona 55: Watched the last few minutes of the Claremont-Pomona game. Great finish. No one got in front of Pinson as he weaved his way down the court for a game-winning layup.

Redlands 67, Oxy 56: The Tigers were down 14 to Redlands at the start of the second half. Oxy cut the Bulldogs' lead to 4 but couldn't get over. Oxy had another sloppy game with 18 turnovers, and were outscored 29-3 on bench points.

Whittier 81, La Verne 71: ULV was game and hung in with Whittier before losing.

CLU 64, Caltech 42: Cal Lutheran got its first conference win with a victory over Caltech. Down 21, the Beavers cut the lead to 9 with 7:30 left, but were outscored 17-4 the rest of the way. Aaron Van Klaveren scored 16 and had 12 rebs for CLU. Collin Murphy scored 12 for CIT. Todd Cramer DNP.

OxyBob

[stag44]

Video Witness of CMS-PP

It was an easy decision to stay awake in New York to watch the highly anticipated matchup of CMS vs PP on my laptop. One of the better choices I've made after the rollercoaster ride that we witnessed.

Rains was packed well before tip, and by the end of the game there was no room in the entrances or stands - probably matched only by the game in 05/06 and the SCIAC championship in 07/08 from an attendance perspective.

As expected, both teams came out VERY anxious and sloppy. There was limited scoring through the first 6-7 minutes as CMS led 6-4, 6 minutes into the game. There were bricks (airballs about 3 feet over the rim from serious adrenaline flowing through everyone's system), turnovers (uncharacteristic forced passes, dribbling into traffic), and wild shots. It seemed like everyone was trying to win the game with one play and so there was limited execution. PP started in an active but compact 2-3 zone defense. For some reason, the Stags refused to hit the high post. From the video camera angle, it seemed like Maciera and Blees were often open at the FT line, but the guards decided to swing around the wing, worried about deflections or turnovers. This led to alot of contested jumpshots or dumps to Blees and making him go against 3 guys and try to make a play.

Then PP caught fire and hit 3 straight 3's and stretched their lead to 19-9 with 6:29 to go in the half. They went on a 15-3 run over this 7 minute stretch which could be attributed to their zone defense and sharpshooting, as well as confusing the Stags with their High Post-Princeton style offense. They were slicing through the key, rubbing off their high post guard and keeping the paint clear. The bench looked rattled and not ready for the atmosphere and mayhem on the court. Mivshek airballed a 3 from the corner by about 4 feet and was really pressing the issue out there. You can tell he's just trying hard, but needed to take a deep breath and slow down out there.

CMS responded with a 11-0 run of their own fueled by their improved defense, patient offense, and aggressive rebounding. Anderson showed his great athleticism by snagging 2 big time o-boards and getting 4 pts. I was impressed with how calm Grodahl looked out there given he was a freshmen. He's played in his fair share of big games as a starter for Jesuit HS in Oregon. Now with Stags up 20-19, the teams exchanged baskets and PP went into the half up 23-22.

For all things considered, CMS escaped the first half and was lucky to be down just 1. They were playing as individuals, turning over the ball, and forcing terrible shots. Just overall a poor half with too many players trying to be heroes. It's pretty standard in this game that players try to play bigger than there role and last night was no different.

Onto the second half:
Both teams seemed to settle down and the 2nd half was more a story of one-uppsmanship, as opposed to how the first half was a comedy of errors. Both teams were making shot after shot and I don't think either team led by more than 4 the whole 2nd half. The game was in a great flow for the first 10 minutes of the half and then things started to tighten as the game moved into crunch time.

What could have been a HUGE turning point was when Blees picked up his 4th foul with about 7 minutes to go on back-to-back charge calls. The first was a definite flop, and the second was a more 50/50 call, but still was difficult to tell on the camera. Regardless, the Stags were up 3 when he went out and LOCKED In on defense, and when he came back in 3 minutes later, they were down 1 and looking totally confused on offense.

Over the last 3 minutes though, there was just PLAY AFTER PLAY made. This was one of the better finished of game from an execution and clutch factor that I have witnessed. It started with Blees making a very savvy adjustment on their end of shotclock ball screen. After picking up 2 charges he eased up on his drive knowing he would draw another defender. With that he found Anderson for a layin to put the Stags up 1, 49-48. After getting a stop on the defensive end, the Stags were finally able to get their first 2 transition points on a Maciera layup from Blees to make it 51-48 with 2 minutes to go. After a BIGTIME charge taken by Maciera, CMS had wild shot from Anderson carom off the backboard. Cohen came down and calmly knocked down an elbow jumper off an on-ball screen to make it 51-50 with 1 minute to go.

Now in what was the biggest possession of the game, the Stags milked the clock and brought it down to 10 on the clock and had Blees and Maciera in on-ball action at the top of the key. Blees refused the screen, went right 2 dribbles and was able to suck in a defender and smartly kicked to a WIDE open Gaffney who buried a HUGE 3 pointer infront of the CMS fans. CMS up 54-50 with 29 seconds. PP comes down and calmly gets a layup with 20 seconds to go. After the make and a Kats timeout, the Stags are able to inbound the ball and then Blees got sent to the line. He has had is issues at the line this year, but was able to calmly sink the front end of the 1 and 1. He came up short on the second - PP got the rebound and after trying to find an open 3 in transition, Kats called a time out with 9 seconds to go. In an extremely smart design and perfectly executed, PP was able to spring Klukas free cross court and with a skip inbounds pass find him open as 2 Stags screwed up a switch and both stuck with Cohen. In front of his bench he calmly nailed a 3 to tie the game at 54-54 with just over 6 seconds left.

Now coaches are divided on how to handle this situation. Your team just gave up a lead and is in dissarray on the road. Fans are going crazy and your natural reaction is probably to call a timeout. Either Scali tried to and didn't happen, or he just calmly let the course of the game play out. The ball bounced 2 or 3 times after the make. The Stags all looked in shock but it also seemed that they all took a deep breath while the ball was bouncing. They inbounded the ball to Pinson who with some controlled urgency brought the ball upcourt. At the top of the key mad an in and out crossover to his left and somehow all defenders parted giving him a very decent lane to the hoop. He grasped the moment and went to the rim and banked home a nice lefty floating layup. Very big moxie by the soph guard!!! There was mayhem as the everyone thought the game was over but with .5 seconds on the clock, Kats called a timeout.

They had to move the fans back to the stands and both teams regrouped in their time out. PP airmailed a Grant Hill type pass without it touching anyone, and again everyone thought the game was over, but it was not as no one tipped it. So they cleared the court, CMS inbounded to Blees and he threw it in the air - GAME OVER - CMS 57-55

Can't emphasize enough how much this showed about this rivalry and both teams. CMS didnt have their best game and yet were able to find a way to victory in a usually hostile environment - this was their 2nd straight win at Rains, but prior had lost 5 straight. PP is tough, gritty and shoots the lights out if open from 3. Their 8-6 record is caveated with 5 of 6 losses coming to D1 (SDSU), NAIA-1 (BIOLA), D2 (CSU San Marcos), and top 25 D3 Schools (St Thomas, CMS). 

Blees, though late, made very good adjustments on how PP was guarding him and it was enough to get the win. Pinson and Gaffney played beyond their years and shot 8-11 from the field for 21 pts. Maciera and Anderson played like senior veterans who understood the pressure and atmosphere going for a combined 18pts 10rebs.

Really a great game, and added another classic to the annuls of the CMS-PP rivalry. Can't wait for this one in Ducey Feb 21, 2012. If both teams play the way they should it could be for the SCIAC Championship!!

[cmsme]

Regarding the last seconds of the PP CMS game, does the clock stop when the basket is made? It seems like there was more than 6 seconds. And the Stags seemed very calm, no rush.

Stag44 (and everyone else)--I love your write ups. thank you!

[etule]

PP was celebrating and the CMS guard was still playing! No one got in front of him at all! CMS is a tough minded team! Great game!

[OxyBob]

Regarding the last seconds of the PP CMS game, does the clock stop when the basket is made?

I believe the rule is this: The game clock stops after a successful FG during the last minute of the second half and the last minute of overtime. That's what gave CMS a chance to regroup before Pinson's mad dash for the winning score.

OxyBob

[stag44]

PP was celebrating and the CMS guard was still playing! No one got in front of him at all! CMS is a tough minded team! Great game!

Pinson actually made a very nice move at the top of the key and then made lay up with his offhand over a defender. The problem occurred in that PP did not pick him up at full court, though they never do that in practice. Overall, it was a big time play from Pinson who made up for is defensive snafu seconds earlier. If you look at the replay, there was a miscommunication on the switch between Pinson and Gaffney which left Klukas open. Really big mental mistake and they paid for it.

[stag44]

Saturday's Games:

CMS @ Whittier
The road gets no easier for CMS. Playing at Whittier is always difficult as the gym is darker than most and sometimes feels much colder, especially compared to the toaster oven Ducey.

Whitter is going to be gunning for CMS and will be mentally focused to take down the #12 team in the nation. They will be pressing the whole game and try to get CMS sped up and force Pinson, Gaffney and Blees into turnovers. Im sure they look at the box scores and see the 7 and 5tos from Blees and Pinson and think they can really pressure them into TOs. The key will be how CMS handles the Man and 2-2-1 press. Both present different issues.

Offensively Whittier presents problems all around the floor. The key will be to following scouting reports and making sure Stags are willing to take charges, help the helper and gang rebound. On top of that their one-on-one defensive skills will be tested. The more players can guard without help and keep WC out of the paint, the more frustrated and quick Whittier will shoot.

I think CMS wins this game, but not without a serious fight from Whittier,

CMS wins 87-76.


Redlands @ Caltech
Redlands beats Caltech with ease

67-43

ULV @ PP
PP rebounds with a win over ULV. It will be a very close game and show what emotional and physical fatigue the CMS PP game puts on players.

PP wins 64-57

OXY @ CLU
CLU gets another win on the tape. I think this could be a sleeper great game. Both teams plod along. Game will be low scoring and physical. I like CLU at home though. It looks like their freshman are starting to understand how the SCIAC plays and figuring out their roles.

CLU wins 58-52

[etule]

I think Whittier may cause some problems for CMS. This will be a good game!

Im going with Occidental. They have more talent than CLU!

I'm also going with LaVerne over PP. They are due for a blowout game!

I'm also going with Cal Tech over Redlands!  Kidding Blowout by Redlands! I still think Redlands will be there against CMS in the playoffs!

[(509)Rat]

"Solid" teams don't get "blown out" or beat by Redlands "with ease". Bad teams do though...

[OxyBob]

Saturday night's scores...

Whittier 88 Claremont 85 2OT: Drew Menez hit a 3-ball with 23 seconds to go in the second overtime to give the Poets the win, and hand the Stags their first loss of the season. Menez led all scorers with 23. Chris Blees had 19 for Claremont.

Redlands 74 Caltech 41: UR led 20-2 after the first nine minutes, and that was that. Tristan Kirk scored 16 for the Bulldogs, and Jack Colston had 11 points and 14 rebounds. Andrew Hogue scored 15 off the bench for CIT.

Pomona 64 La Verne 57: Pomona only led 48-45 with 7 minutes left, but the Sagehens went on a 9-2 run and got the win. Jack Klukas scored 19 for Pomona. Austin Napolitano had 20 for the Leopards.

Cal Lutheran 60 Oxy 54: CLU led 44-34 with 10 minutes to go. Oxy cut it to 48-46, but the Kingsmen scored 7 straight and got the victory. Aaron Van Klaveren dominated with 22 points and 17 rebounds for CLU. Jack Hanley scored 15 for the Tigers.

3-way tie for first place in the conference between Claremont, Pomona, and Whittier, all 4-1.

Wednesday's games...

La Verne (4-12, 1-4 SCIAC) @ Caltech (5-11, 0-5)
Oxy (7-9, 2-3) @ Claremont (15-1, 4-1)
Pomona (9-6, 4-1) @ Whittier (12-4, 4-1)
Cal Lutheran (6-9, 2-3) @ Redlands (8-8, 3-2)

OxyBob

[CMSfan]

Whittier 88 Claremont 85

Anybody see the game?  I watched the first half online and the Stags looked like they were in control.  What happened?