Redlands, Calif. - The top-seeded Redlands Men's Basketball team shot 17-for-24 (70.8 percent) from the floor in the second half to break open a close game and capture an 88-68 win over fourth-seeded Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC Post-Season Tournament semifinals on Friday.

With the win, Redlands improves to 21-5 and moves on to the SCIAC finals tomorrow at home against the Whittier-CMS winner. Pomona-Pitzer ends its season with a 14-11 record.

The Sagehens hung tough in the first half, trailing 40-37 at the half behind 12 points from junior forward John Weiss (Cleveland, Ohio) on 5-5 shooting. Pomona-Pitzer stayed within 47-43 on a three-point play from junior forward Jake Klewer (Tucson, Ariz.), but Ricky Peetz and Brian Kuklok made back to back threes 23 seconds apart to push the lead to double figures for the first time at 53-43.

Kuklok hit another jumper to push the lead to 12, before the Sagehens scored on consecutive drives from senior guard Xavyr Moss (Federal Way, Wash.) and sophomore guard Michael Cohen (Tarzana, Calif.). Moss answered an Alex Rudd three-pointer with one of his own, but Matt Calhoun and Rudd hit two more for the Bulldogs to push the lead to 64-50 with 9:54 to go.

Those two threes were the start of a 15-2 run that put the Bulldogs ahead 73-52 with 6:10 left on a Kuklok jumper. Senior forward Po Grant (Brookline, Mass.) hit a three-pointer for the Sagehens, but Josiah Brensdal answered with yet another trey for Redlands, and Pomona-Pitzer was unable to mount a comeback.

Redlands missed its first shot of the second half, and then made 16 of its next 21 (seven of them threes) before the benches emptied in the closing minutes. Overall, the Bulldogs shot 51.6 percent (32-62) and 46.2 percent from three (12-26).

Weiss finished with a team-high 12 points, Moss added 11, and sophomore guard Kyle McAndrews (Seattle, Wash.) had 10 for Pomona-Pitzer. Brensdal had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Redlands, while Alex Rudd added 18.

Pomona-Pitzer will return its entire starting five next season, including Moss, who will use his fifth year to attend Claremont Graduate University. The Sagehens do lose valuable bench contributors, though, in Grant, point guard Harrison Green (New York, N.Y.), forward Donald Okpalugo (Manchester, Eng.) and guard Brett Lingle (Palm Desert, Calif.).