Men's Hoops Falls Hard to Whittier Poets 76-48
By Joel Ruhter
Contributing Writer

The Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball team, looking to pull out a repeat victory over Whittier College, could not have expected the outcome of last Saturday's match-up. The Sagehens fell soundly to the Poets in a 76-48 blowout that was out of reach not long after tip-off. The Sagehens had previously beaten the Poets 75-71 on January 15.

A sloppy start to the game, peppered with clanked baskets, air balls and backcourt violations, saw each team scoreless after their first three possessions. The scoring drought ended when Tyler Velten '04 made a basket in the paint. The Sagehens managed to keep the game close for the next few minutes allowing the Poets only a slim 8-6 lead.

The close score dissolved quickly, however, as turnovers plagued Pomona-Pitzer. Whittier went on a 14-4 run capped by a 3-pointer by their guard Erik Giesler. In the first half the Sagehens had an alarming 10 turnovers compared to Poets' mere 4.

Coach Katsiaficas called a time out to regroup his team. The Sagehens quickly responded with a 3-pointer by point guard Justin Smith '03. The scoring remained even for seven minutes of play until back-to-back three-pointers by Smith and Gavin Cree '04. The threes narrowed the score to 28-21, bringing the Hens within reach. Unfazed, Whittier answered back with a 5-0 run to finish out the half. Scoring woes continued for the Sagehens in the second half; the team finished the game shooting 30% from the floor.

The star of the game was Whittier captain and guard Abe Morabbi. Morabbi, a two year Whittier MVP and an all SCIAC honoree. Sagehen supporters quickly realized that Morabbi was the best player on the court and began heckling him for his unorthodox use of shin bands, one black and one white. Their effort did little to stop Morabbi, who led all scorers with 16 points, a game high 10 rebounds and 3 assists.

The loss was not without encouraging signs for Pomona-Pitzer. With the game decided near the end, Coach Katsiaficas decided to play a younger lineup that held its own against the Poets. The game saw the return of wing Ed Wexler-Beron '06, who has been out with a stress fracture. He was leading the team in scoring with 10.4 points per game and was also contributing 4.4 rebounds a game before the injury. The young lineup at one point featured all three freshmen, Wexler-Beron, guard Evan Flagg and forward Thomas Hollo, who saw significant playing time. Hollo co-led Sagehen scorers with 10 points, with Velton also contributing 10. Point guard Jason Howie '03 led the team in rebounds with 5.

The loss dropped Pomona-Pitzer to 4-4 in the SCIAC and 7-13 overall. The Hens plan on climbing up from their fifth position in SCIAC over the course of their six remaining conference games, hopefully beginning with a win against first-place Occidental this Wednesday in Voekel Gymnasium.