CLAREMONT, Calif. (Feb. 12, 2020) – The Caltech men's basketball team turned in a much-improved performance against first-place Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Wednesday evening, as the Beavers led the Sagehens at halftime on the road.

The Beavers held the Sagehens, a team that scored 100 points in their own building just last month, to just 27 first-half points on 26-percent shooting. While half of the home team's first-half field goals came as a result of the deep ball, Caltech came into Wednesday's contest determined to not let the Sagehens set a tone inside. The Beavers' defensive success ultimately led to a one-point advantage at the half.

"I came away from tonight really impressed with our players' ability to reset and come out very focused," Head Coach Dr. Oliver Eslinger said. "We again showed we can play with a great deal of confidence and can do what we do best against a great team: share the ball and play lockdown defense."

Caltech received needed contributions from all around the lineup. Junior guard Marcus Gee (Santa Monica, Calif. / Santa Monica) led the way with 19 points and 5-of-10 shooting from three, while sophomore guard Noah Barnes (Springfield, Va. / Jefferson) had a very encouraging offensive performance of his own, scoring 14 points while shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from deep. Senior guard Alec Andrews (Folsom, Calif. / Folsom) set his shooters up nicely with five assists and also contributed on the glass with seven rebounds. Junior forward Spencer Schneider (Houston, Texas / Clearbrook), meanwhile, rounded out double-figure scorers for the Beavers with a 12-point, nine-rebound night. Although Pomona-Pitzer's depth and experience in tight games took over late, Caltech pushed the host team to the final horn, drawing back within eight points with just two minutes to go.

Eslinger and the Beavers will play arguably their most important game to date on Saturday, Feb. 15 when they host fellow SCIAC Postseason Tournament contender the University of Redlands at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs own a narrow victory over the Beavers from January and are currently two games up (8-4 SCIAC).

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