The Occidental men’s basketball team notched a critical victory over Redlands University in their senior night game. This victory secured the team a spot in the upcoming SCIAC conference tournament as the fourth seed. For the Tigers’ current roster, the tournament will be the first time any of them have entered postseason play. The Tigers hold a strong 18-7 overall record with the tournament set to begin Feb. 25th against fifth seed California Lutheran University.
Nicky Clotfelter (senior) said their recent victory over Redlands was a long time coming.
“[Our win] was after seven straight losses to Redlands in my career,” Clotfelter said. “This was something we’ve been working for across multiple seasons — figuring out how to beat their system.”
Clotfelter said the game itself was exceptional, with the Tigers scoring several times in the first couple minutes.
“I think [scoring early] just gave everyone confidence that we could do it,” Clotfelter said. “It was an insane game, to put it lightly. I think it was probably our biggest program win in half a decade.”
Assistant coach Dominic Maynes said Redlands plays at an extremely fast pace that requires intense focus.
“Redlands creates 40 minutes of pressure,” Maynes said. “Just as much as you need to be physically engaged, you need to be mentally engaged […] The pressure is not going to change no matter what, and it’s really on us to survive it and turn it into opportunities.”
Maynes said the team’s performance thus far has him confident going into the SCIAC tournament.
“I’m absolutely optimistic in terms of what we’re going to be able to do,” Maynes said. “This is the first time in [several] years that we’ve been to the SCIAC tournament, and everybody is excited to be playing that extra game you’re not guaranteed [at the start of the season].”
Alex McCleery Brown (sophomore) said the team’s camaraderie has played a large part in their success this season. McCleery Brown earned SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Week and a spot on D3hoops.com Team of the Week Feb. 16.
“Even if you’re down in a game, there’s always someone to pick you up and be there for you,” McCleery Brown said. “It builds a special bond.”
According to McCleery Brown, everyone on the team is important to their success.
“You could have the most skilled player on the court, but if you don’t have teammates getting him the ball, it’s not going to work out,” McCleery Brown said. “It’s not just one person. It’s everybody.”
Peter Noble (sophomore) said the team is prepared for the challenges ahead.
“We know what to expect,” Noble said. “We’re very well prepared for every game we play […] Everyone is so unbelievably bought in.”
Noble also said he was optimistic about the team’s chances from the start.
“We have an extremely talented team,” Noble said. “I just knew from when I was recruited that we had so much talent and we were going to be good […] I think we can beat anyone.”
Entering the SCIAC tournament also means playing away games against teams like Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, whom the Tigers have yet to win against this season.
According to Maynes, such games present a unique opportunity.
“It’s going to take all 16 players and all five coaches to really come together as one on the road,” Maynes said. “The playoffs, whether it’s home or away, are about understanding that wherever it is we’re going to play, we’ve played there before. The lights aren’t any brighter.”
Maynes also said the team has spent a lot of time preparing for these difficult games.
“We’ve had areas of success against everybody,” Maynes said. “I look forward to the chess game of it […] Everybody’s making adjustments, and everybody’s looking for ways to exploit the other team.”
McCleery Brown said the preparation has paid off, and that he feels confident about the rematches.
“[Our preparation] showed against Redlands, and we were able to get it done,” McCleery Brown said. “CMS, they’re a top ten team in the country, and we were right there with them […] They have a distinct style of play, but if you just calm down and play your game, it’s definitely possible to beat them.”
Clotfelter said any success in the SCIAC tournament is owed to the whole team.
“If and when we go on the run that we want to go on, it’s not going to be because of one or two people,” Clotfelter said. “It’s going to be because of everyone, because of how prepared we are and because of how much belief we have in one another.”
Contact Julian Levy at jlevy@oxy.edu
