Photo by: Haruna Tomono, Caltech Yearbook

 

REDLANDS, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2022) - With 32 points, two rebounds, two blocks and three steals, Caltech men's basketball senior guard Marcus Gee (Santa Monica, Calif. / Santa Monica) led the way for Caltech in a 84-73 road victory over the University of Redlands Bulldogs on Wednesday night. With the win, Caltech moves to 8-3 and is the only undefeated team in SCIAC play at 2-0 while also notching a seventh consecutive victory, a modern-day record for the men's hoops program.

 

Lighting it up from beyond the arc, Gee attempted 15 three-point shots in the game, converting seven of them for a 46.7 percentage from long distance. He only attempted 20 shots on the night with three-quarters of his efforts coming from three-point land. Ironically, he was 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the contest and made four of the five two-point field goals he attempted. Overall, he shot 55 percent for the contest.

 

The game had an auspicious beginning, as Caltech, playing for the first time in 2022 after nearly four weeks off from competition, trailed the host Bulldogs 7-0. It was a three by Gee with three minutes gone in the first half that got the Beavers on the scoreboard and on track. While Gee provided the significant offensive punch, he and his teammates were supported offensively by senior Stephen Hei (Newcastle, Wash. / Liberty), who poured in 15 of his own, with nine of his points coming on three-pointers. Hei also tied for the team lead with nine boards as senior Noah Barnes (Springfield, Va. / Jefferson) shot nearly 63 percent on the evening, scoring 10 points on eight shots in 29 minutes of action.

 

The teams traded blows for a good portion of the first half, with the Beavers taking control midway through the frame and building their largest margin of the contest, going in front 35-22 with 8:26 remaining. Junior Chase Pagon (Solana Beach, Calif. / Santa Fe Christian) brought his hallmark intensity and grit, while contributing nine points and nine boards for the Beavers. This mindset and effort was mirrored by freshman Riley Wood (Richmond, Va. / St. Christopher's School), who helped Caltech by scoring six points and pulling down seven rebounds in his 23 minutes on the court. Redlands was able to get back into the game before the teams reached intermission, by not only whittling down the Caltech lead to tie the contest at 41 with 1:15 remaining, but then taking a 43-41 lead at half. Caltech did not score in the final 3:23 of the opening stanza, a 15-point swing from the sizable lead with just under nine minutes to go.

 

If the Beavers hoped for a chance to rest, talk and re-group at halftime would provide what they needed to re-establish themselves against Redlands, it was the Bulldogs who came out of the locker room inspired, scoring eight unanswered points to start the second half. That is when the Beavers began to play the gritty and extra-pass basketball that has helped them all season as senior Spencer Schneider (Houston, Texas / Clearbrook) nailed a three-point jump shot, got fouled and converted the free-throw for the rare four-point play with 17:50 remaining in the second half and the Beavers' hopes of regaining momentum came back to life. On the defensive end, Caltech turned up the pressure and was able to get back into the contest by making it a one-possession game with 11:46 remaining.

 

Trading buckets and defensive stops through the middle part of the second half, the Beavers tied the contest with just under nine minutes to go at 65. From there, the teams went back-and-forth until Caltech, thanks to another three by Gee, took a 70-67 lead with 4:53 remaining. The Bulldogs attempted to scratch and claw their way back into the contest, but the Beavers would allow them to get no closer than four points down the stretch, as Caltech secured the 84-73 victory.