Third Time’s a Charm, Stags Repeat as SCIAC Champs

CLAREMONT, CA -- On Saturday night in front of a packed Ducey Gym, the Stags were able to avenge their two regular season loses to Pomona-Pitzer by defeating the Sagehens 57-53 in a thrilling SCIAC Post-Season Tournament Final. CMS received SCIAC's automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament and will face Chapman on Thursday, March 4.

Similar to their previous meetings with the Sagehens, CMS had a difficult time making baskets. In the opening four minutes, the Stags were 3-7 shooting with two three-pointers by starting forwards Chris Blees (JR, Carmichael) and Michael Bagby (SR, Coupeville, WA), but the 'Hens answered with eight points of their own to even the score at 8-8.

After another Sagehen basket and a Stag turnover, Coach Scalmanini [pictured] decided to change the pace by playing his bench players. The substitution proved to be a great move as Conner Faught's (SR, Agoura Hills) trey sparked a 7-0 run and allowed the Stags to take a 15-10 lead at the 12-minute mark. However, The Sagehens produced a scoring run of their own, which brought them back to a 16-17 advantage. In the closing minutes of the first half, the Stags were able to pull within one, but a last-second three-pointer increased the Sagehen lead to four at halftime.

The Stags tied the game at the 14-minute mark of the second half and did not look back. A contested three-point conversion by Beau Heidrich (JR, Woodside) electrified the crowd and sparked a 17-7 run that stretched their lead to ten. With 6:40 left, the lead seemed enough to secure a victory, but the Stags became dormant on offense as they went over six minutes without a basket. Their lack of offense allowed the Sagehens to methodically slim the CMS lead to two with 1:35 left.

Time of possession was key in the waining minutes of the game as CMS was able to keep posession of the ball for most of the final 1:30, but two missed baskets on their last two offensive possessions kept them from extending their lead. The Sagehens had a chance to win with :17 left, but after two timeouts by the Sagehens (one of the timeouts was to prevent a potential 5-second inbound violation) Blees prevented the comeback by causing a crucial turnover and gaining posession of the ball, which resulted in him being fouled underneath the Sagehen basket. Blees converted his two foul shots on the one-and-one and sealed the victory.

Blees had 14 points, six rebounds, an assist and three steals in the win. Joseph Anderson's (SO, Lafayette) eight offensive rebounds (13 rebounds total) were critical in establishing second chance opportunities and extending possessions for the Stags. Patrick Lacey (JR, Orangevale) also contributed to the rebound count by grabbing eight. Faught was productive from the bench, scoring 13 points.

As the winner of the SCIAC Tournament, CMS received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their next opponent will be Chapman. Because Chapman is seeded higher in the tournament, they will host the game. Tip-off will be Thursday, March 4 at 7:00 PM.