Cal Tech Wins First Game in 10 Years: It’s hard to imagine any basketball team losing every NCAA game it plays for an entire decade, a span of 207 games. But the Cal Tech Beavers aren’t known for basketball because the Division III school attracts mostly elite future mathematicians and scientists, not ball players.
So the Beavers’ 81-52 shocker against Bard College of New York last night is momentous. The win ended a 10-year skid vs. NCAA teams and a 60-game losing streak against all opponents, including non-NCAA opponents. Matt Dellatorre exploded for 24 points, as the Beavers grabbed victory in dominating fashion.
Although Cal Tech does not have a history of producing quality basketball players, Cal Tech can claim 31 Nobel Prize winners among its alumni. The extremely competitive admissions process does not include scholarships for athletes, which is true for many D-III programs. That puts such schools at an inherent disadvantage in terms of athletic quality when they must compete for kids who get free rides to bigger institutions. Nevertheless, Cal Tech’s futility was remarkable, and the team is thrilled to finally win something in the new millennium. [1/07/07]
