Early season road trip produces mixed results for Stags

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's basketball team began regular season play for the 2015 season with a trio of road matchups. CMS lost both games of the Markie Cosca Memorial Tournament Nov. 13-14 to Simpson (Calif.) and the Cal Maritime Academy, but earned a decisive win over the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs on Nov. 15.

Simpson (Calif.) 77, CMS 72 (OT)

Regulation time was not enough to decide the Stags' first regular season game of 2015.

CMS battled back to erase an eight point deficit as the teams traded leads late in the first half. Senior Michael Scarlett (CMC) played a large role as he knotted things up at 29 and gave CMS a 33-31 lead as time expired going into the half.

Neither squad could run away with a lead in a tight second frame. The Stags trailed by two with just under a minute to play but sophomore Joey Malgesini (CMC) converted on a pair of free throws to send the game to overtime.

Scarlett, Malgesini and senior Jack Earley (CMC) helped CMS maintain a lead in extra period until Simpson took advantage of a free throw opportunity with 1:21 remaining. Simpson used the swing in momentum to take an eventual five point lead and capture the win.

Scarlett led the team in points (18) going 7-13 from the field and was perfect on free throws. Malgesini was the Stags best three-point shooter as he connected on two of his four attempts from beyond the arc.

Cal Maritime Academy 67, CMS 60

A strong second half effort wasn't enough to erase an early deficit for the Stags in their second game of the Markie Cosca Memorial Tournament.

Cal Maritime put up 37 points in the first including 10 unanswered at the end of the half.

The Keelhaulers took a 46-22 lead near the 17 minute mark of the second before the Stags' offense took off with 16 straight points of their own. Five separate field players put points on the board during the run that included five from senior Shelby Lane (CMC) and three pointers from both Early and Scarlett.

CMS kept the game within reach but couldn't complete the comeback, eventually falling by a final score of 67-60.

Lane put together his second double-double performance of the year with 11 points and 13 rebounds after coming off a 13 point, 11 rebound effort against Simpson.

CMS 69, UC Santa Cruz 55

The Stags beat UC Santa Cruz in their third game in as many days for their first win of 2015.

A 12-all deadlock quickly became a wide open 21-12 game midway through the first half. Malgesini and Lane and handled a majority of the scoring in the first as CMS kept its foot on the gas and ended up with a 32-21 advantage at the break.

The Stags never let the Banana Slugs climb back in during the second half and had a total of 13 players get in on the action. The overall solid performance gave CMS a 69-55 victory.

Lane and Malgesini put up over 20 points each for the Stags. Lane earned his third straight double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Malgesini had his second double digit point total of the season and made a team high four three pointers.

CMS will next travel to New York for a pair of games Nov. 20-21 against John Jay College and Hunter College.

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