Woot!
The Caltech men’s basketball team ended a 26-year conference losing streak Tuesday night after posting a 46-45 victory over Occidental in the team’s regular-season finale on senior night.
It was the first victory for the Division III Beavers since beating the University of La Verne 48-47 on Jan. 23, 1985, a span of 310 games in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
“Tonight’s win is a testament to the hard work each member of this team, the alumni and the supporters have put into this program,” third-year coach Oliver Eslinger said in a statement released by the school. “I hope that everyone who has participated in Caltech men’s basketball is able to celebrate a little tonight.”
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Caltech finished the season 5-20, its best record in 15 years. The Beavers went 0-25 last season and hadn’t won more than one game in any of their previous eight seasons — but back in 2007, Caltech ended an NCAA-record 207-game losing streak with a victory over Bard College of New York.
As a fan of Rice athletics, I know a little something about perseverance in the face of adversity. My sincere congratulations to Caltech and its fans for the win.