ORANGE, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2020) – The Caltech men's basketball team delivered on perhaps its most clutch performance of the season, scoring yet another road victory this time at the expense of Chapman University, 75-57. The victory moves Caltech to 4-4 through the first half of the SCIAC schedule, as good of a start in conference play as the Beavers have had in the modern era.

Caltech took the advantage following a back-and-forth second half with a late surge over the final 90 seconds. The Beavers finished the half on a 7-2 run, capped off by a three-pointer from sophomore guard Stephen Hei (Newcastle, Wash. / Liberty) that gave the visitors a three-point lead heading into the break. Caltech poured it on in the second half, however, thanks to some consistent defense and arguably the team's best display of offensive efficiency all season.

"We played a complete game," Head Coach Dr. Oliver Eslinger said. "We won the first half and then our defense really gave us the fuel we needed late. We received contributions across the board, stayed confident and believed in one another."

The Beavers outscored the Panthers, 46-31, in the second half. Junior forward Spencer Schneider (Houston, Texas / Clearbrook) took the game over with 15 points over the final 20 minutes and 19 over the full game while shooting a robust 8-for-12 from the field. Senior guard Alec Andrews (Folsom, Calif. / Folsom) set Schneider up with six assists and sophomore guard Noah Barnes (Springfield, Va. / Jefferson) broke out with 13 points and six rebounds. It was a Schneider three-pointer from Andrews, however, that perhaps signaled victory for Caltech with four minutes and 27 seconds to go in regulation. The deep bucket put the Beavers up by 19 points and forced the reeling Panthers to slow their roll with a timeout.

"Spencer's versatility certainly makes us better," Eslinger said. "His approach to our daily tasks is a terrific model."

Saturday's victory marks Caltech's third over Chapman in the previous four seasons. The Beavers received further contributions from leading scorer Marcus Gee (Santa Monica, Calif. / Santa Monica), who dumped in 16 points and freshman forward Pavlos Stavrinides (Nicosia, Cyprus / The English School of Nicosia), who made his mark with 11 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Stavrinides' presence in the paint allowed Caltech to outrebound Chapman, but perhaps more importantly hold the Panthers to just 23 rebounds in 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the Beavers did all the right things with the ball in their hands. The visitors closed the game with just nine turnovers and built a path to victory through efficiency as opposed to volume.

Entering the game with three SCIAC wins, Caltech needed a victory on Saturday to ensure a .500 start to the conference slate. With a win in hand, the Beavers now enter the latter half of SCIAC games tied for fourth in the standings with three other teams, including the Panthers. The men's basketball team's start to the conference schedule mirrors that of the 2015-16 season, when the Eslinger-coached Beavers also started 4-4 against SCIAC teams and finished the season 7-9, one game out of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament.

"We did understand it was a must-win for postseason purposes, but that doesn't necessarily equate to pressure," Eslinger said. "It's exciting to play in big games and our guys respond well."

Eslinger and the Beavers will look to solidify their status as a SCIAC Postseason Tournament hopeful when they rematch Whittier College on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

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