Caltech Hangs on to Edge CMS Women's Basketball 67-62

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Austyn Masuno had another big day with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but it wasn't quite enough as Caltech was able to hold on down the stretch and take a 67-62 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Monday evening at Roberts Pavilion.

With the loss, CMS slips to 10-12 overall on the season and 7-6 in the SCIAC, while Caltechm which was led by 23 points from Sahana Saikumar, improves to 9-11 overall and 4-8 in league play with the win.

CMS trailed for most of the first half, but closed on a 13-0 run to take a 29-25 lead into the break. Ruva Kiara started the run with a steal and two foul shots and then a putback basket, while Flora Durgerian capped it off with a layup off a Masuno feed just before the halftime buzzer. 

Caltech, though, didn't let the momentum carry over and made a push in the fourth quarter to surge ahead. After Durgerian drove for a layup with 7:20 left to put the Athenas ahead 53-49, Kathryn Edwards hit a three and Faith Pinney had a driving layup to put the Beavers ahead. The teams traded leads for the next two minutes, before Saikumar gave the Beavers a 60-57 lead, before Edwards made a basket and two foul shots to make it a 64-58 Caltech lead with 1:46 to go. 

Masuno hit a tough jumper in the paint to close to 64-60, but Saikumar answered with two foul shots and the Athenas couldn't come any closer in the final minute. 

Durgerian finished with 13 points on 6-7 shooting in support of Masuno, while Edwards had 17 for the Beavers. CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts Chapman for a 4 p.m. contest at Roberts Pavilion.