ROCKLIN, Calif. – Menlo College pulled away in the second half to defeat the Bushnell University men's basketball team 74-52 at the Bill Holtz Warrior Classic, hosted by William Jessup University on Saturday.
 
Head Coach Eddie Alexander said, "Tonight was a great test of our determination. We got into very early foul trouble and it started to catch up to us late in the second half."
 
Bushnell drops to 0-2 after its season-opening road trip. The Beacons shot 34.7% from the floor, including 15.4% from three-point range on the night. Kaden Sand (pictured) led the Beacons with 11 points and seven rebounds. Logan Sand finished with eight points and a team-high three assists. Luke Smith added eight points, making 4-of-4 attempts from the free throw line.
 
Menlo (4-0), who was coming off a 21-point win over No. 13 Oregon Tech the day before, was led by Parker Haven's 14 points and nine rebounds. N'Jai LeBlanc recorded 13 points, while Jake Tranter added 11 points off the bench. The Oaks shot 39.7% from the field on the game and outrebounded the Beacons 46-34, which included a 13-3 advantage in offensive boards.
 
The Beacons held a 25-23 edge with under five minutes to go in the first half before Menlo used a 13-0 run to bring a 36-25 lead into the break.
 
"I thought we played to our strengths very well for about the first 15 minutes of the game," said Alexander. "Although Stevie wasn't scoring, the ball was going through him and we were executing good offense. The last five minutes of the first half were a struggle."
 
The Oaks continued to take advantage of a tough shooting night and early foul trouble from the Beacons. Back-to-back dunks by Haven and three Beacon turnovers opened an 8-0 run for the Oaks and a 49-31 lead with 13:25 on the clock. Menlo rode this momentum to a 74-52 victory.
 
"We came out of the half and did exactly what we talked about for a few minutes, but did not respond to adversity well," Alexander said. "After a trip home tomorrow, we have a quick turnaround and another chance on Tuesday."
 
The Beacons take on Willamette University on Tuesday, Nov. 9 in Salem, Ore.