Hoopsters Beat Down Bard

January 8, 2007

The long drought for the Caltech men's basketball team came to an end Saturday, when the Beavers defeated NCAA Division III rival Bard College by a decisive 81-52. This was the first win for the men in the last 59 games, and the first victory against an NCAA opponent since the 1995-96 season.

Roy Dow, head coach of the men's team, said after the game that the players were especially energized by the attendance of Caltech's new president, Jean-Lou Chameau, and his wife, Carol.

"Jean-Lou and Carol are simply huge in my eyes and the eyes of our team," said Dow. "They had just arrived from a 16-hour flight from Singapore, landing perhaps a couple of hours prior to tip-off."

High scorer for the Beavers was sophomore Travis Haussler, who connected for 27 points. Teammate Matt Dellatorre was close behind with 24.

The Caltech win has been covered by numerous media outlets, including National Public Radio, KNBC in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times, and the college basketball website D3hoops.com. A story about the victory will also appear in the January 15 issue of Sports Illustrated.

The Beavers will begin their SCIAC conference play January 10 with a road trip to Occidental College.