ATLANTA, Ga. – The Sagehens are advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating the Centre Colonels 84-64. Pomona-Pitzer shot 56.9% (29-51) from the field and 61.1% (11-18) from beyond the arc. Micah Elan led all scorers with 23 points and five rebounds while Adam Rees (16 points, seven rebounds), Alex Preston (12 points, five rebounds), and Jack Boyle (12 points, three rebounds) all chimed in for double-digits. 

The Sagehens will be back in action tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. against the host Emory, who defeated Methodist 78-74.

First Half Action

The Sagehens won the tip off and struck first with a quick jump shot from Alex Preston just 10 seconds into the contest. Preston later drained two free throws to make it 4-0 with 18:57 left in the first. The Colonels responded with a 5-0 run to earn their first lead of the night and it was back and forth from there. Micah Elan hit a three with 16:46 on the clock to give the Sagehens a 7-5 lead but Centre was back on top after sinking three free throws, making it 8-7 with 16:25 left.

Micah Elan sparked the offense with his second three-pointer of the game, making it 10-8 just 10 seconds after the Colonels' lead. Centre tied the contest once more with a quick layup but the Sagehens surged, going on an 8-0 run to make it 18-10 with 13:20 remaining in the half. Centre ended the run with a shot from downtown, but Jack Boyle answered with a three of his own to make it 21-13.

Pomona-Pitzer continued to pour it on as Micah Elan drained his third three-pointer of the night with 10:59 left in the half. After a minute and 40 seconds of scoreless play, Matthew Eberle chimed in with a three-pointer to give the Sagehens a 28-15 lead.

The two teams traded blows but the Sagehens' offense had an answer each time the Colonels got close. Centre pulled within seven with a dunk, making it 34-27 with 5:12 on the clock, forcing the Sagehens to call a timeout. The break proved useful as Pomona-Pitzer charged forward, working their way to a 41-29 lead with a three from Jack Boyle. Adam Rees and James Kelbert each added two of their own to the score before the Sagehens went into the half. At the break, the Sagehens held a 45-31 lead.

Steady Attack

Centre struck first coming out of the halftime break but Pomona-Pitzer owned the second half. The Sagehens utilized a 6-0 run to take a 53-35 lead with 16:58 to go in the second and they didn't stop there. Pavle Rohalj and Micah Elan both added two points to give the Sagehens a 20-point lead at 57-37 with 15:15 left in the half. Centre cut it to 18 points but a jumper from Adam Rees reset it back to a 20-point lead at 61-41 with 14:24 remaining. A three from Jack Boyle increased the Sagehens' lead to 66-43 with 12:12 left in the contest. Just over two minutes later, Matthew Eberle made it 69-45 with a three of his own, giving the Sagehens their largest lead of the evening with 10:07 left to play. 

Centre went on a 10-0 run that lasted a minute and 25 seconds, cutting Pomona-Pitzer's lead down to 69-55. Adam Rees ended the run with a hard fought two points in the paint and Micah Elan sunk two free throws moments later to make it 73-55 in favor of the Sagehens. The Colonels responded with a 5-0 run, trying to dig back into the contest but Jack Boyle pulled up from deep and ended the run, making it 76-60 with 5:41 remaining. Boyles three started the end of the game as Pomona-Pitzer ended the battle on an 11-4 run, giving them the 84-64 victory to advance to the Second Round of the Division III Men's Basketball Championship. 

What's Up Next

As mentioned, the Sagehens will be back in action tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. against Emory, who defeated Methodist 78-74.