By Joe Perrino, Sports Information Assistant
REDLANDS — The Leopards traveled to Redlands on Wednesday, Feb. 10, and made a statement, taking down the Bulldogs 77-69.
The Leos juniors balled outscoring a combined 54 points against the sixth-ranked team in the SCIAC.
La Verne started off the game cold, as they only scored five points through the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the game, but buckets from each of the juniors, Seth Shaw, Paul Antonis, and Brian Adams — in that order — evened up the score and didn't look back from there.
The Leos kept the score tied at the half, then exploded from there going on a 25-11 run to open the final frame — at one point leading by 14 points, 56-42.
That run was capped off by a Paul Antonis three-point bucket while drawing contact on the shot and draining it while the whistle was blown for the and-one. He converted the free throw and that was the eventual dagger as Redlands never came back within striking distance.
Shaw finished with a game-high 21 points. Antonis collected 19 of his own and added 13 rebounds for a double-double — his fifth of the season. Adams finished with 14 points, six boards, and four assists. The trio shot 18-31 from the field and has been finding a groove as of late winning two out of their last four, and keeping it close against tough opponents.
With the victory, the Leos move to 4-16 overall and collect their first SCIAC win and sit at 1-9 in the conference. Redlands falls to 9-10 and 5-8.
This win keeps the Leos in the hunt for that final postseason spot. La Verne will need to win on Saturday against Whittier as well as defeat Occidental — the team above them — to stay in contention.
La Verne's next contest is at home on Saturday, Feb. 12 against the Whittier Poets.