Segura Dobjanschi Scores Career-High 28 as CMS Men's Basketball Storms Past Whittier 81-55

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior forward Nicolas Segura Dobjanschi, the reigning SCIAC Offensive Player of the Week, continued his torrid play of late with a career-high 28 points on 13-18 shooting from the floor to lead the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's basketball team to an 81-55 win over Whittier on Wednesday night at Roberts Pavilion.

Junior guard Miles President added 17 points and junior forward Jeremy Horn had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Stags, who improve to 12-4 overall and 6-1 in the SCIAC while picking up their sixth straight win. Whittier falls to 6-10 overall and 3-4 in the SCIAC with the loss. 

Segura Dobjanschi, who was limited to 11 minutes by foul trouble in Monday's win over Cal Lutheran (scoring six points on 3-3 shooting), made up for the lost time and passed his previous career high of 25 points, which he set in a loss to No. 4 ranked Whitman on Nov. 23. He earned his 28 points with efficient shooting from all areas of the floor, creating many of his own shots with an array of spin moves and floaters inside of 15 feet (nine of his 13 baskets were unassisted), helping CMS to a big 44-24 edge in points in the paint. 

The Stags outscored Whittier 47-30 in the second half to break open a game that was still anyone's contest early in the second half. The Poets were within 44-38 with 15:23 left after two foul shots from Kenyatta Louder, before the Stags used an 11-1 run over a span of two minutes to break it open.

Segura Dobjanschi started the run with a drive to the basket for a lay-up and a foul for a three-point play, and junior guard JD Levine fouled with a deep three-pointer to give CMS a double-digit lead at 50-38. After Whittier split two foul shots, Levine had two straight assists, finding President for a three-pointer from the left wing and Horn for a jumper inside the frree throw line to build the lead to 55-39 with 13:19 to play.  

A 13-0 run for the Stags then left no doubt of the final outcome, turing a 57-42 lead into a 70-42 advantage. Sophomore guard Mitchell Kirsch hit a three-pointer with 7:27 left to push the lead over 20 points at 64-42, then had a lay-up off a Segura Dobjanschi assist to cap off the run, making it a 70-42 lead with 5:29 to go.  

President's 17 points represented a season high, as the junior sharpshooter hit 4-7 from the floor (3-5 from three) on the night. Mitchell Kirsch had a strong all-around game with a career-high nine rebounds, to go along with five points, five assists and no turnovers. As a team, CMS had 19 assists and only nine turnovers against a Whittier team that showed some fullcourt pressure on the day. 

CMS shot 50.8 percent on the day (31-61), while holding Whittier to just 29.2 percent (19-65), including just 27.3 percent in the second half (9-33). The Poets also shot 6-25 from beyond the arc (24.0 percent). 

The Stags will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Chapman for a 4 p.m. contest, completing the first half of the league schedule. CMS will be trying to pick up its fifth SCIAC road win since Jan. 5, after winning four league road games in an eight-day stretch last week.