CMC75 Moments: CMS Edges Cal Lutheran for 2017 SCIAC Men's Basketball Title
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
2016-17 Men's Basketball: Stags Win SCIAC at Roberts Pavilion
The opening year of Roberts Pavilion saw the CMS Men's Basketball team win the regular season SCIAC title, wrapping up a 13-3 league schedule with an overtime win over Occidental. The first-ever men's basketball postseason game at Roberts was a semifinal game against No. 4 seed Pomona-Pitzer that came down to the wire, but a key tip-in from Kendrick Morris with 11 seconds left put the Stags up by five and helped seal the win, sending them through to the championship game at their brand-new facility.
Cal Lutheran was determined, though, to not let the Stags hang a championship banner in the new rafters without a fight. The Kingsmen had the ball with 43 seconds left down by one with a chance to take the lead, but the Stags drew an offensive foul. Michael Scarlett made two foul shots to push the lead to 72-69, but a Cal Lutheran layup made it a one-point game. Riley Hall then made two more pressure free throws, and a Cal Lutheran turnover gave CMS the ball with five seconds left, when the Stags broke the press and Morris threw down a signature dunk with an "and one" to cap off the program's first Roberts Pavilion title with a 77-71 win.
The Stags would go on to defeat Whitworth 78-73 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, behind 24 points from Morris, before eventually falling to Whitman to cap a 23-5 season.
Scarlett earned SCIAC Player of the Year Honors and would also add All-West Region and second-team All-America honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches to his list of accolades. Morris earned second-team All-SCIAC distinction as well after averaging 13.5 points on a school-record 64.7 percent shooting from the floor.
2016-17 Men's Basketball Roster
Head Coach: Ken Scalmanini
Assistant Coaches: Levi Sieg, Khris Fortson, Nick Jackson
Evan Davis (So., G, CMC)
Jack Ely (Jr., F, CMC)
Sam Garvin (Fr., G, CMC)
Riley Hall (Sr., F, CMC)
Jeremy Horn (Fr., C, CMC)
Daniel Keinan (Fr., F, CMC)
Maxwell Kirsch (Fr., F, CMC)
Ryan Kusch (So., F, HMC)
JD Levine (Fr., G, CMC)
Scott Lynds (Sr., G, CMC)
Andrew Maddock (Jr., C, CMC)
Kele Mkpado (Fr., F, CMC)
Kendrick Morris (Jr., C, CMC)
Patrick Myers (So., F, CMC)
Miles President (Fr., G, HMC)
Michael Scarlett (Jr., G, CMC)
Mark Sui (So., G, CMC)
George Walker (Fr., F, CMC)