Markaryan's Career-High 24 Leads CMS Women's Basketball Over Pomona-Pitzer 64-58

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Mary Markaryan had a career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team held off Pomona-Pitzer for a 64-58 win on Saturday afternoon at Roberts Pavilion.

With the win, CMS improves to 4-13 overall and 2-7 in the SCIAC, while Pomona-Pitzer falls to 3-15 overall and 0-9 in the SCIAC with the loss. 

Markaryan's stats included a big put-back off a missed CMS free throw late, to push the lead up to four points and make it a two possession game with 19 seconds, just after Jadyn Lee had cut it to one with a three-pointer. Lee missed a three-pointer to try to cut it to one again, and Tanya Ghai pulled in the defensive rebound before hitting it ahead to Syona Mandyam for the game's final points to make it 64-58. 

CMS trailed at the half 26-25, but controlled the third quarter (21-12) to move ahead by eight heading into the fourth, with Markaryan and Ghai each scoring eight in the third. 

Pomona-Pitzer kept batting and got it down to 51-47 with 5:05 to go, but Markaryan made two foul shots 1:50 late to get the lead back up to six. Kayla Ishibashi followed with a lay-up off a feed from Ruva Kiara to get it to eight, but the Sagehens were able to get it down to one in the final minute. 

CMS finished with a 44-31 rebounding advantage, with Markaryan earning 10 and Katie Resendiz finishing with nine, as she was just shy of a double-double (eight points, nine rebounds). 

Markaryan had her first career 20-point game, after reaching as high as 18 points on three prior occasions, most recently against Caltech on Jan. 6. 

CMS will be back in action on Wednesday night when it hosts Cal Lutheran for a 7 p.m. contest.