REDDING, Calif. - The men's basketball team began the season with an exclamation as they defeated Southern Oregon last night in their season opener at the James M. Grant Center.
A back-and-forth contest between the Red Hawks and Raiders featured seven different lead changes in the first half. The bookend points of the first half came from Nick Stone, who hit from beyond the arc to put the first points of the year on the board. Simpson extended its lead to seven points on three separate occasions: on a jump shot by Coleton Hansen, a jumper from Ameere Britton, and a bucket by Stone to end the half.
Holding a 42-35 lead entering the second half, the Red Hawks watched as the Raiders chipped away and took their first lead since the first half on a layup by Tariq Lofton with eight and a half minutes left in the second half. With the game coming down to the wire, the Raiders tied the game at 68 on a layup by Isaiah Bronson.
But the Red Hawks answered on a strong layup by Stone to take a two-point lead. The Raiders could not recover as the Red Hawks scored five unanswered points to put the game out of reach on a layup by Sargent Jeffrey, along with key free throws by Yanis Aldeguer.
First-year Red Hawk Nick Stone made his presence felt all game, leading the team with 19 points while shooting 61% from the floor.
Ameere Britton added 13 points, while Coleton Hansen and Sargent Jeffrey each notched 10 points. Jeffrey led the team with six rebounds while shooting 4-5 from the floor.
The Red Hawks took advantage of the Raiders by scoring 25 points off turnovers while outscoring the Raiders' bench 18-15. Yanis Aldeguer played a key role off the bench, recording eight points and three rebounds.
Simpson looks to sweep the opening-week homestand as they take on Lincoln University tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the James M. Grant Center.
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