Box Score
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Sagehens went to battle with the No. 10 ranked Emory Eagles and came out victorious after a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Jack Boyle, ending the game 71-70. The Sagehens and Eagles fought back and forth for the entire but the Sagehens trailed 34-29 at the half. Pomona-Pitzer tied the game twice late in the second half but Eagles were relentless. Boyle's three came off an inbounds play with 2.2 seconds on the clock with the Sagehens trailing 70-68. With the win, Pomona-Pitzer is advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history.
Micah Elan led the offense with 20 points while Alex Preston recorded 15 points and seven rebounds. Adam Rees had 14 points and 12 rebounds to record a double-double and Jack Boyle ended the night 14 points and the three-pointer to seal the victory.
Battle of the Birds
After nearly two minutes of scoreless play, the Sagehens struck first with a layup from Jack Boyle. Adam Rees kept the scoring going to put Pomona-Pitzer up 4-0 with 17:54 left. The Sagehens were on top for the majority of the first half, working their way to an 11-6 lead with 11:31 on the clock in the first. The Eagles fought back though, going on a quick 4-0 run to pull within one at 11-10 with 10:51 to play. Micah Elan drained a three-pointer to make it 14-10 but momentum would shift after the Eagles took a 18-14 lead with an 8-0 run with 7:09 left to play.
Pomona-Pitzer battled back, tying the game at 21-21 with 5:48 on the clock before Adam Rees hit a shot from downtown to make it 24-21. The Eagles answered with a three of their own and the two team's continued to trade blows. Rohalj Pavle tipped in a quick two to make it 26-24 and completed the three-point play after getting fouled. The Eagles went on an 8-2 run to close out the first half, setting the Sagehens behind 34-29 heading into the halftime break.
Clawing Back
Much like the start of the game, the Sagehens were on the board first with a three from Jack Boyle, making it 34-32 in favor of the Eagles. Alex Preston brought the game to a tie at 34-34 with a layup with 16:55 on the clock. The Eagles charged forward, going on a 7-2 run to take a 41-36 over the Sagehens but Micah Elan ended it with a three to pull Pomona-Pitzer within two.
The Eagles answered with a three of their own and continued to put the pressure on the Sagehens. The three was the start of a 7-1 run for Emory but Micah Elan and Alex Preston combined for five points to try to slow them down. The Eagles were relentless and responded with another three-pointer, taking a 53-45 lead with 10:14 remaining in regulation. Alex Preston made the next five points for Pomona-Pitzer with two free throws and a shot from downtown, helping close in the Eagles with 9:13 left on the clock. The two teams traded shots for the next three minutes but the Sagehens began to mount their comeback. Micah Elan hit a jumper with 5:43 left in the game, making it 62-58 in favor of the Eagles. Emory missed a three-point attempt and Jack Boyle capitalized, fighting through the paint for two to make it 62-60 with 5:10 left in the half. Then, 45 seconds later, Adam Rees knotted the game at 62-62 with 4:25 left to go, setting the stage for a battle to the finish.
Survive and Advance
The Eagles drilled a three to make it 65-62 with 3:54 left. Micah Elan brought the Sagehens back within two but a jumper but after a Pomona-Pitzer timeout, the Eagles drilled another three to take a 68-64 lead with 3:05 on the clock. The Sagehens went on a 4-0 run, taking the clock all the way down to 26 seconds, tying things at 68-68. The Eagles missed a layup but got the offensive rebound and went back up to take a 70-68 lead with 2.6 seconds on the clock. The Sagehens called a timeout and drew up their plan. Inbounding the ball from the opposite base line, the Sagehens got it across half court and called a timeout with 2.2 seconds on the clock, giving them another chance to talk things over.
Coming out of the timeouts, James Kelbert sent the inbound pass up in the air to the far corner where Jack Boyle stood waiting. With time about to expire, Boyle pump faked and shook the first defend and threw up the three-pointer at the buzzer with an Eagle in his face. Boyle's shot was nothing but nylon and sent the Sagehens' bench into a frenzy as Pomona-Pitzer defeated the No. 10 Emory Eagles 71-70 on their home court, advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history.
What's Up Next
The Sagehens are set to take on Elmhurst on Mar. 13 at a time and place to be determined.
