CMS Men’s Basketball Improves to 2-0 with Win over Pacific Lutheran
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pacific Lutheran (2-1,0-0 NWC) | 29 | 31 | 60 |
|
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2-0,0-0 SCIAC) | 33 | 33 | 66 |
TACOMA, Wash. - Kiran Kruse had a career-high 19 points and the CMS men's basketball team had another strong defensive performance as it completed an opening-weekend sweep with a 66-60 win over Pacific Lutheran on the second day of the Doug McArthur Classic hosted by Puget Sound.
CMS began the weekend with a 73-59 win over host Puget Sound yesterday behind 30 points from Josh Angle, and defeated Pacific Lutheran, which came in with a 2-0 record, behind a more balanced attack. Kruse led the way with 19, while TJ Askew had 13 and Rhett Carter chipped in with 12.
The Stags led most of the way, but the score stayed tight until CMS was able to open up some separation midway through the second half with a 12-2 run. After the Lutes scored to pull within 43-39 with 12:49 to go, CMS scored the next six points to take a double-digit lead. Kruse scored the first two baskets of the run, the second off a Matt Meredith feed, and then Angle scored on a fast-break lay-up off another Meredith pass to make it 49-39 with 11:27 left.
Pacific Lutheran broke the 6-0 run with a basket, but Kruse again scored two straight baskets, the first off a feed from Max McCalla and the second on a fast break to stretch it to 53-41. Askew then hit a jumper off a McCalla pass to make it a 14-point lead, the largest of the game.
A Luke Webb basket and a McCalla three-pointer from Brian Kenyon gave CMS its largest lead at 60-45 with 6:42 left. Pacific Lutheran fought all the way back to within three points with 36 seconds left, but Angle hit two clutch foul shots with 22 seconds left and Kruse added another with 10 seconds on the clock to finish it off.
CMS had 20 assists and only 12 turnovers as it shot 54 percent from the floor in the second half (45.6 percent for the game) to come away with its second win of the weekend.
The Stags will be back in action for their second tournament of the young season, this time at home for the David Wells Classic on Friday and Saturday at Roberts Pavilion.