Late Run Carries Cal Lutheran Past CMS Men's Basketball

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's basketball team led 56-52 with four minutes to go, but Cal Lutheran closed on a 10-0 run to take a 62-56 win in a battle of SCIAC co-leaders on Wednesday night at Gilbert Arena.

The loss snaps an 11-game win streak for CMS, which slips to 13-5 overall and 7-2 in the SCIAC, while Cal Lutheran improves to 15-3 overall and 8-1 in the SCIAC, with its only loss coming in the first meeting with CMS back in December. 

Will Householter led CMS with 13 points, while Caelan Jones was also in double figures with 10. 

Jones put CMS ahead 56-52 with a jumper with exactly four minutes to play, and the Stags then earned two straight stops but couldn't extend their lead. Devon Lewis then swung the momentum with 2:20 to go with a three-pointer to cut the lead to one, and then had a steal and lay-up to put the Kingsmen ahead to stay. Tommy Griffitts followed with a fast-break dunk, and CMS had two chances to tie in the final minute with three-pointers, but couldn't convert. 

The Stags jumped out to a 15-1 lead early in the game, looking like they might run away with it, as Householter scored nine of those points on a three-point play and two three-pointers. Cal Lutheran withstood the opening haymaker from CMS, though, and got back within 26-23 at the half on a Griffitts buzzer-beater. 

Griffitts led all scorers with 14 points, while Lewis finished with 11. Jones had four steals to go with his 10 points for the Stags. 

CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it travels to Caltech for a 2 p.m. contest.