REDDING, Calif. - The men's basketball team fell against the 20-4 University of Antelope Valley Pioneers tonight 90-94 in OT. 
 

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— Simpson Red Hawks (@SimpsonRedHawks) February 9, 2024
 

The Pioneers got off to a blistering hot start as they nailed back-to-back three-pointers on their first two possessions. 

But the Red Hawks rallied back and scored seven unanswered points to grab the early 7-6 lead. 

A layup by Osumanu Nuhu began the night's scoring, followed by a Drey Ubas three-pointer, and a Parker Martens layup. 

Sam Shields drained a three-pointer followed by a tip-in basket off A Derek Gorden missed jumper that helped Simpson retake the lead halfway through the first half. 

However, the Pioneers caught fire at the end of the first half and extended its lead to as much as 14 points. 

A late Pioneer foul as time was expiring on Ubas's three-point attempt allowed Simpson to pull within 11 points as Ubas hit all three free throws. 

Simpson returned the favor in the second half as they hit back-to-back three-pointers by Parker Martens and Drey Ubas to cut the Pioneers lead to five points. 

The Red Hawks grabbed the lead midway through the second half after a Ubas three-pointer. 

The last five minutes proved to be a true thriller as the Pioneers and Red Hawks exchanged buckets with eight lead changes. 

A jump shot by Derek Gorden with just over a minute to play tied the game at 77. 

Drey Ubas hit Garrett Streufert in the paint for the go-ahead layup with 1.7 seconds left. 

But a crucial Red Hawk foul with 0.5 seconds left allowed the Pioneers to tie the game at 79 after two converted free throws pushed the game into overtime. 

A 6-2 Rd Hawk run by buckets by Shields, Gorden, and Streufert put Simpson up 85-81 with three and a half minutes left. 

But UAV proved too much in the end as a 9-2 Pioneer run helped them put the game out of reach and seal the 94-90 road victory.

Drey Ubas had a career night as he scored a team-high 28 points while shooting 6-10 from beyond the arc. 



Derek Gorden had a solid game with 13 points to go along with five rebounds. 

Sam Shields had a nice game in the paint with 12 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds. 

With the loss, Simpson is in the seventh spot in the Cal Pac playoff race. 

Simpson looks to keep its playoff hopes alive next week as they take on Benedictine at home at 7:30 PM.