THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Gilbert Arena hosted the final day of the 21st Annual Thrivent Financial Tournament this evening with a pair of physical games. In the championship game Tufts defeated Cal Lutheran 85-78 to claim the title. In the consolation final Whitman tore past Geneva.
The tournament Most Valuable Player award went to Tom Palleschi from Tufts, after totaling 39 points, 27 rebounds and 15 blocks in two games, while the All-Tournament Team was comprised of Vincent Pace (Tufts), Adrian Francis (Cal Lutheran), Jeremy Sulker-Hall (Cal Lutheran), Austin Butler (Whitman) and Ethan Adamcyzk (Geneva).
A close first half in the championship game saw a trio of ties and a pair of lead changes early on, but the Kingsmen took a commanding lead in the first 20 minutes. A late run from Tufts closed the gap to five at 47-42 as the halfway point approached.
Out of the break, Tufts continued to chip away and with 12:15 remaining in regulation Pace put back a jumper after coming down with an offensive rebound to knot the teams at 57-57. CLU reeled off the next five points and the score would continue in favor of the Violet and Gold. Tufts made it a one point, 68-67, game at 5:29 on a three-pointer from Tarik Smith. On the ensuing Jumbos' possession, Pace drew a foul and promptly poured in a pair of free-throws for the first TU lead of the half at 69-68 in the midst of an 11-0 run. An exciting environment late in the final minutes of the contest came alive on both sides as the teams battled. Tufts never relinquished its lead, though the Kingsmen pulled within one at 77-76 with 1:18 to go. TU went 6-for-6 down the stretch to seal the win.
Tufts (8-2) looked to Pace and Palleschi for 19 points apiece with Ryan Spadaford recording 15. Palleschi led all players with 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double and added four blocks and two assists to his total tonight. Pace was a rebound shy of his own double-double by grabbing nine.
Cal Lutheran (4-3) was led by Francis with a game-high 22 points and team-highs of nine rebounds and five assists. Dan Wade scored 17 in the loss and Connor McGuire handed out four assists with Justin Kam tallying three. Defensively, the freshman had a solid showing with a trio of blocks and both McGuire and Sulker-Hall nabbed two steals.
In the consolation final, Whitman powered past Geneva, 103-81, in the fifth 100-point showing of the season for the Missionaries. At halftime, WC led the Tornadoes 55-41 and never trailed.
Whitman (10-1) returned to the win column by shooting 59.5 percent in the opening half and at a 68.8 clip, by going 22-for-32, in the second for an overall shooting percentage of 63.8 from the field tonight. Besides accurate offense, WC was also solid at the stripe, going a combined 9-for-11. Six players punched in double digit scoring, led by Austin Butler with 15 points on a 7-for-7 evening and eight rebounds, both team highs, while adding four steals and four assists. In limited action, Tim Howell handed out a team-leading five assists. Otchi Oti came off the bench for 12 points, four steals and four assists.
Geneva (0-10) remained winless despite a game-high 25-point effort from Ethan Adamczyk. Jimmy Loechliter poured in 20 points as the second of three Tornadoes to reach double figures. Chaese Vaudrin was the other with 14. He handed out a game-best six assists and also paced the GC defense with six rebounds, adding a pair of steals.
Cal Lutheran has concluded non-conference action and will open Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Saturday, Jan. 2 against Pomona-Pitzer at 2:00 p.m. inside of the Gilbert Arena.
Tournament Central: 2015 Thrivent Financial Tournament
Box Score: TUFTS 85, CLU 78
Box Score: WTM 103, GENEVA 81
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