By Michael Wells

Sports Information Director

LOS ANGELES — Deshun McCoy (Los Angeles) and Conrad Liebowitz (Santa Monica) combined for 20 of the game's 72 rebounds and the Occidental College men's basketball team was within striking distance of No. 11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps right up until the end, but couldn't pull off the upset, losing 55-47 at Rush Gymnasium on Saturday.

Liebowitz had his 10th double double, leading the game with 12 rebounds to go along with 11 points, and McCoy had 15 points and eight rebounds. Oxy as a team outrebounded CMS 40-32, but the Stags committed just five turnovers, compared to Oxy's 14, and scored 17 points off the Oxy (10-13, 6-7 ) mishaps.

After trailing by 13 points with just 5:47 left, the Tigers got all the way back to within five, 50-45, with 1:19 remaining, on three made free throws Sam Stapleton (Los Angeles) free throws. CMS made 5 of 5 from the line down the stretch, ending the game and the Tigers chances of advancing to the postseason.

Oxy needed to do what only Whittier has done this year: beat the Stags (23-1, 12-1). Then they needed to win again against Cal Lutheran on Tuesday in its regular season finale, and have Pomona-Pitzer lose its last two in order to sneak into the SCIAC four-team playoff tournament.

Pomona-Pitzer won and Oxy came up short of its long shot, but Occidental coach Brian Newhall said he was pleased with his team's performance against the league's best team.

"We played very hard on defense and I could not be happier with our effort. We continued to battle on the glass," Occidental coach Brian Newhall said. "CMS played a solid game. … They have a very smart, well coached team."

Jack Hanley (Seattle) had 10 points, playing all 40 minutes, the fifth game in the last eight that he's gone the distance, for the Tigers. Sam Stapleton (Los Angeles) added nine for Oxy.

Chris Blees, a three-time SCIAC player of the year, led the game with 19 points for CMS. Tyler Gaffaney added 16.

Oxy closes out the season against Cal Lu on Tuesday at Rush Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.