Box Score Box score
Reserves that outscored starters 43 to 33 led host Occidental College (10-1) to a 76-69 victory over St. Scholastica (3-8) on Thursday night in Los Angeles at the Oxy Classic.
Neither team shot exceptionally well in the opening half -- 38 percent for the Saints, 33 percent for the Tigers -- but Occidental still held a four point lead with under a minute to play.
Fouled while pulling down a rebound, St. Scholastica's Jesse Taylor (Superior, Wis./Maranatha Academy) sank a pair of free throws that pulled the Saints within two at 30-28 with 32 seconds left in the opening 20 minutes.
Oxy was trying to hold the ball for the last shot of the half but St. Scholastica's Akente Ward (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis HS) stole the ball and raced down court for the tying layup in the final seconds, sending the Saints into the locker room with momentum in the 30-30 game.
The two teams battled back and fourth in the early minutes of the second half with Taylor putting the Saints ahead 46-44 with a three-pointer at the 12:17 mark.
That would be the last lead the Saints would own in the game, though, as Occidental pulled away in the final five minutes.
Saints starters combined for 51 of the team's 69 points, led by Andy Schmitz' 20 points and Brady Zubke (Laporte, Minn./Park Rapids Area HS)'s 18. Taylor ended up with 14 as a reserve.
For the hosts, Chris Hunt came off the bench to score a game-high 27 points, hitting seven three-pointers in the winning effort.
Both Schmitz and Zubke were named to the Oxy Classic all-tournament team in a vote by coaches from the participating schools (including Pomona-Pitzer and Chapman College).
