SCIAC Playoffs: Game Day Central

No. 2 Whittier College vs. No. 3 Pomona-Pitzer
Friday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Teams
Whittier College enters the game as the No. 2 seed in the tournament after it finished the regular-season 16-9 and 10-4 in conference play. The Sagehens are the No. 3 seed in the tournament after they won a coin-flip over Cal Lutheran. Pomona finished the season with a 13-12 overall record and a 10-4 conference mark.

Against each other
The Poets and Sagehens have faced each other twice this season as Whittier claimed wins in both of those meetings.
January 24 - Whittier 91, Pomona-Pitzer 84
February 18 - Whittier 76, Pomona-Pitzer 70 (overtime)

Players to Watch
Whittier
The Poets are led by the senior duo of Michael Archuletta and Marcus Gibson. Archuletta is averaging team-bests in points per game (12.6) and rebounds per game (5.6). The forward from Manhattan Beach, Calif., scored a season-high 24 points twice this season. The first time was against Gwynedd-Mercy on December 17 and he repeated that performance two games later on January 4 against Swarthmore.

Gibson clinched the home playoff game for the Poets as he hit a three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left on the clock to give the purple and gold a 68-66 win over Cal Lutheran. For the season he is averaging 11.6 points per game and a team-high 2.5 assists per outing. Four times this season the Villa Park, Calif., native scored 20 or more points with his highest output coming on December 4 against La Sierra (23 points).

Pomona-Pitzer
The Sagehens are led by David Liss who averages a team-high 14.6 points per game. Liss averages just under 33 minutes a game and is bringing in 3.2 rebounds a game. He is shooting over 43 percent from the field (111-of-254) as he ranks second on the team in total shots.

Projected Starters
Whittier College
#10 AJ Manalo, Jr., Guard, 2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.4 apg
#20 Marcus Gibson, Sr., Guard, 11.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.5 apg
#23 Travis Crow, Sr., Guard, 8.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.4 apg
#52 Michael Archuletta, Sr., Forward, 12.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.2 apg
#54 Keegan Hoover, Fr., Forward, 9.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.4 apg

Pomona-Pitzer
#11 Adam Chaimowitz, Jr., Guard, 13.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 apg
#15 David Liss, Jr., Guard, 14.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg
#20 Jeremy Namkung, Sr., Guard, 8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.4 apg
#32 Justin Sexton, Jr., Forward, 13.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.8 apg
#42 Shawn Stephan, So., Forward, 5.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.4 apg

ppg - points per game
rpg - rebounds per game
apg - assists per game

Other SCIAC game
Semifinal
No. 4 Cal Lutheran (18-7, 10-4 SCIAC) at No.1 Claremont-M-S (19-6, 11-3 SCIAC)

Championship game (February 28)
To be determined. Higher seed will host.

Photo by: Tony Leon/Action West Photography