Stags Shatter First-Half Deficit, Defeat Tigers

The Stags (8-1, 16-4) continue their path towards a top-seed in the SCIAC tournament by defeating another top SCIAC team, Occidental (6-3, 14-6), 60-52. The win keeps the Stags a game in front of Redlands for the top spot in the SCIAC conference.

The game stayed close in the opening minutes of the first half, but a late Tiger run sparked an eight-point deficit with five minutes to go in the first half. The Stags ended the half behind 25-31. Despite the deficit, the Stags exploded out of the second half by outscoring the Tigers 22-6 in the first 13 minutes. The Stags shot 52% from the field in the second half, compared to the Tiger's 32%. A 12-point lead with seven minutes to go was too much for the Tigers, as the Stags won the game and pushed the Tigers in a tie for third place in the SCIAC.

Chris Blees (JR, Carmichael) continued his dominance by scoring a game-high 23 points. He also contributed six rebounds and three steals. Joseph Anderson (SO, Lafayette) and Michael Bagby (SR, Coupeville, WA) also scored in double-figures with ten points each.

The Stags look to continue their three-game winning streak at home against Cal Tech (0-9, 0-20) on Wednesday, February 10. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM.