CMS Women's Basketball Falls to SCIAC-Leading La Verne in League Finale

LA VERNE, Calif. - Mary Markaryan had 17 points and Katie Resendiz added 16, but SCIAC-leading La Verne used a 28-point fourth quarter to take an 81-64 win in the conference finale for the Athenas on Wednesday evening.

La Verne, which was led by 25 points and 11 rebounds from Chiara Brown moves to 12-3 in league play and remains in a first-place tie with Cal Lutheran heading into its finale on Saturday against Chapman. CMS slips to 4-20 overall and 2-14 in the SCIAC. 

CMS fell behind 9-0 early, but withstood the first punch, and got back to within 22-21 on a three-pointer from Syona Mandyam early in the second quarter. La Verne led 34-29 at the half, but Markaryan put back her own miss to make it 34-32.

The Leopards used two straight three-pointers from Alyssa Smith to turn a 45-37 lead into a 51-37 advantage, but Markaryan scored with 24 seconds left in the third to get it back down to single digits (53-44) heading into the fourth. 

Tanya Ghai hit a three-pointer and Markaryan made two foul shots to get CMS back within just four points at 53-49. La Verne edged back in front by nine before Sadie Heckman converted a lay-up to make it 64-57 with 5:50 to go, but the Leopards went on a 14-2 run to put it away. 

Ghai was also in double figures for CMS with 12 points, to go along with a team-high three steals. Resendiz had five rebounds and five assists to go with her 16 points, while Markaryan had five rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

CMS will be back in action on Friday, when it closes out the regular season with a home game against UC Santa Cruz at 1 p.m.