Tati Foor
Staff Writer
The La Verne men’s basketball team ended their five game losing streak on Saturday with a 65-48 win against Caltech Beavers at Frantz Athletic Court. La Verne’s aggressive offensive approach was led by senior Logen Howard, who had a game high of 22 points.
“Coach (Richard) Reed gives us plays where I am able to play off the ball and keep moving,” Howard said. “As long as I keep moving I can call up the sets and then get the ball when the time is right.”
La Verne took control over Caltech early in the game, taking a 35-19 lead going into halftime. The Leopards’ offensive trio of guards consisting of Howard, junior Cody Aquino and graduate student Paul Antonis were too strong for the Beavers’ defense to contain.
“When I was on the court I was looking at the match-ups,” Aquino said. “I saw that they were guarding Paul and Logen tighter because they know they are our main scorers, so I took what I can get.”
La Verne’s aggressive approach offensively kept Caltech’s defense knocked off balance throughout the entire game. The 17-point lead at the half allowed the Leopards to maintain control throughout the rest of the game, which made it difficult for the Beavers to have a chance at winning.
“We talked a lot about our jobs,” Antonis said. “And how important it is for each individual person to fill their roles and do what they’re supposed to do.”
The victory showcased La Verne’s ability to effectively stick to their game plan from start to finish, something that head coach Richard Reed emphasized was crucial to breaking the team’s losing streak.
“We had to do a better job rebounding,” Reed said. “But we wanted to win the battle of the boards… we got a nice little lead and we were able to hold on at the end.”
This win held special significance for Antonis, who recently achieved the milestone of 1,000 career points.
“It feels really good because I put in a lot of work to be able to get to where I am today,” Antonis said. “Being able to come back through every injury even stronger has been really important for me, but I couldn’t have done it without the help of my coaches and teammates and the athletic training staff here.”
As a team, this victory also carries added meaning as the season approaches its final stretch.
“We only have two games left,” Reed said. “We would like to win both games, to send our seniors out on a high note. We owe it to the seniors and to the alums at the game to finish this season out strong.”
The Leopards were unable to bring home a win against Occidental on Monday, losing 89-87.
Their record now sits at 7-16 overall and 2-12 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The team’s final game will be against Pomona-Pitzer at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Frantz Athletic Court for Senior Night.
Tati Foor can be reached at tatiana.foor@laverne.edu.
Tati Foor is a junior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Emily Casillas is a junior photography major with a concentration in sports photography. She is a staff photographer for both the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine, as well as La Verne Athletics. Her work can also be found at Shot2byEmily.
