Phoenix, AZ-  In a game that was rarely in doubt, the Firestorm picked up a big conference win Saturday afternoon in Fultz Memorial Gymnasium. In a low scoring, physical battle, it was the Firestorm defense that rose to the occasion against an Oaks team that never really looked comfortable. 

In a game that took a few minutes to get rolling, Senior Guard Mishima Gray got the Firestorm (15-8, 2-8 GSAC) on the board early scoring the first five points. After losing the lead on a jumper by Oaks Guard Amayawood, the Firestorm quickly responded with three pointers from Gray and Junior Guard Matt Willkomm, taking a 10-5 lead and never looking back.

In what has been a consistent factor these past couple of games, the Firestorm saw nine different players score. With guys like Sophomore Guard Carter Wilson, Senior Forward Steven Loucks, and Freshman Forward Lawrence Combs contributing crucially productive minutes off the bench, Coach Jeff Rutter knows how important that has been these past couple of games.

"Different guys each night have been stepping up these last couple games for us and that's been great to give us a lift here" Rutter said, "we have a deep bench and have a lot of faith in the guys we are bringing off the bench. Guys like Carter (Wilson), who didn't score a lot tonight but did a lot of really good things on both sides of the ball, and Lawrence (Combs) hit some big shots for us. Those guys are great about carrying us when we need them to."

Defense was the story for the Firestorm in this game, as they constantly pestered the Oaks shooters and forced them into bad looks. It took Menlo College (9-13, 2-8 GSAC) over ten minutes in the game to crack double-digits in scoring.  The Oaks struggled to find second shot opportunities, as The Firestorm seemed to be all over the defensive boards.

"One of our better games from a defensive rebounding point" Rutter added, "We were aggressive and did a good job on the boards."

The first half had its share of fireworks towards the end as well. After some chippy play on the final Oaks possession of the half, Senior Forward Chris Sterling came away with the ball and raced up the court to beat the buzzer an draw an "and 1" after getting whacked on the shot.

The second half saw the Firestorm continue to frustrate the Oaks with their aggressive defense. While the teams traded baskets to start the half, the midway point saw The Firestorm put the clamps down for good. In a flashback to some non-conference games earlier this season, the Firestorm held the Oaks without a field goal for over seven minutes. From the 12 minute mark they only surrendered two field goals the rest of the game. It was this fantastic defensive effort that took the pressure of an offense as the slowly extended their lead. Closing the game out on a 16-5 run, The Firestorm sealed the deal in what was a must-win game for them.

Said Rutter, "Early in the season we were having lots of stretches like that in second halves where we didn't allow points, so it was nice to see us get back to that here today."

Rutter also had nothing but praise for his leading scorer on the night, Junior Guard Andy Sessions, who came away with 13 points behind 4 three-pointers.

"He does a lot of things that don't show up in the box score, essentially like an on the floor coach for us" Rutter said,  "It was great to see him have such a good night shooting the ball as well.

Said Sessions, "My teammates put me in a good position to hit the shots and I was happy to be the recipient of some great passes today."

Sessions, like the rest of his team, knows that they have little room for error here in the home stretch of the season. But he also knows that his team is clicking at the right time and are ready to battle with anyone that steps on the court with them.

Said Sessions, "Our heart is the biggest factor right now, we're putting everything we have on the court right now"

Next Up for The Firestorm

Thursday 2/9 @ (12) Westmont

Saturday 2/11 @ (23) The Masters

Next Home Game

Tuesday 2/14 vs Hope International