The 2012-2013 Pomona-Pitzer men’s basketball season came to a close on Saturday as the Sagehens, seeded fourth in the SCIAC playoffs, fell 88-68 to the University of Redlands, the eventual winner of the tournament and the conference’s NCAA postseason qualifier.
The Sagehens hung with the Bulldogs for the first half, entering halftime with only a three-point deficit. Redlands, however, soared in the game’s final twenty minutes as the Bulldogs shot an outrageous 17-for-24 (70.8 percent) in the second half. John Weiss PO ’14 led the Sagehens with 12 points on five for seven shooting.
Harrison Green PO ’13 lauded his team’s “collective energy and intensity throughout the game” but pinned the loss on the Sagehens being “sloppy with the ball at times” and struggling to keep “Redlands off of the offensive boards in the first half,” as well as on the quality of his opponents.
“Redlands has proven all year that they have some great shooters, and they all got hot in the second half,” Green said. “It was tough to focus on shutting down any one of their shooters in particular because they have a number of different guys who can really shoot the ball. They are also very experienced and just a good all-around team.”
P-P finishes the year with an overall record of 14-11, a statistic that doesn’t convey the number of close losses the Sagehens endured throughout the SCIAC season. Although the squad didn’t meet its ultimate goal—“to win SCIAC,” according to Green—the senior looked past certain disappointments in order to highlight successes that transcend the win column and box score.
“I think that we had some really strong wins and moments throughout this season. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite put it all together in some of our games at the end of the season,” Green said. “This season was a tremendous experience for me personally and for the team as a whole. We are a very close team, and it is a privilege getting to play with my teammates and coaches.
Despite the graduation of four seniors—Green, Po Grant PZ ’13, Brett Lingle PO ’13, and Donald Okpalugo PO ’13—P-P fans have reason to look forward to upcoming seasons. As Green pointed out, the Sagehens expect all five of this year’s starters to return next season, including the team’s top scorer Kyle McAndrews PO ’15 and rebounder Jake Klewer PO ’14.
Green also praised the character of the current squad.
“Not only are the underclassmen talented players, but they are also hardworking and committed to the team’s goals,” he said. “I think that next year’s seniors will be great leaders.”
With the considerable potential of the Sagehens in mind, Green added, “I am really excited to watch the team play.”