LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2010) – The lead changed 17
times and was tied 11 times as the Cal Lutheran University Kingsmen
and Occidental College Tigers were never separated by more than
seven points in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference showdown tonight at Rush Gymnasium. CLU walked away with
a 71-67 victory as the Tigers dropped their second straight game.
With a see-saw battle going down on the hardwood, Oxy took a
35-30 lead into the locker rooms. Until Huston
Conti hit a jumper from the wing with 20 seconds remaining
in the first half, both teams were held scoreless for more than two
minutes with the score stuck at 33-30.
The second half was more of the same but CLU knocked down
8-for-10 free-throws in the final minute to hold on for the win
after the took the lead on a jumper by Aaron Fisher in the paint
with 4:09 remaining in regulation. Occidental had opportunities
down the stretch, but were 4-for-8, which was not enough with the
solid Kingsmen showing at the stripe.
In the opening half, Occidental shot 54% from the field
(15-for-28) while they held the visiting Kingsmen to a shooting
performance of 38% (11-for-29). CLU was able to shut down Conti,
who scored just two points in the opening half, but senior center
Sean Anderson poured in 11 for the Tigers. On the
flip side, Oxy held CLU senior Kyle Knudsen to seven first-half
points while Greg Grimm put up 11 for the Purple and Gold.
The second half was controlled by Knudsen who was 5-for-7 from
the field and 11-for-11 at the charity stripe for 22 points as he
finished with a game-high 29. Jack Hanley and
Conti each scored nine second-half points, finishing with 18 and
11, respectively. Joining the duo with double figures were Anderson
(17) and Deshun McCoy (12). Both teams scored 20
points in the paint in the second half.
Overall, Oxy out-shot CLU 48% to 46%, but went to the free-throw
line just seven times, combined. Occidental held the Kingsmen to
just 2-for-10 shooting from behind the arc and were 50% from the
three-point line. Hanley and CLU's Andrew Meier each dished
out five assists for the Tigers and Kingsmen while Knudsen finished
with four as did David Ostrow.
CLU held an edge on the glass, 32-30, but both teams came down
with 10 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 13 and eight
points, respectively. Meier finished with a game-high nine rebounds
(one away from a double-double as he scored 11) and Aaron Van
Klaveren and Jake Copithorne each finished with
eight. Four of Copithorne's rebounds were offensive boards,
which led all players. Anderson came away with six rebounds. Conti
and McCoy finished with five apiece while each recording a block.
Grimm stole the ball three times for CLU and Ostrow had two of
Oxy's three steals in the game.
Occidental (14-7, 6-4 SCIAC) will be on the road Saturday, Feb.
13 when they travel to Pasadena, Calif. to play the Caltech
Beavers. Cal Lutheran (11-10, 5-5) evens their conference mark and
will be on the road at Pomona-Pitzer (10-11, 6-4) Saturday evening.
Oxy remains tied for third place in the standings, with PP, behind
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (9-1) and the University of Redlands (8-2).
CLU is currently fifth.
Article by: Tracy Maple, Sports
Information Director
