Stags Move Into First Place Tie After Win Over La Verne

CMS beat La Verne 64-61 on Wednesday night to improve to 17-6 and 9-3 in SCIAC. The win, coupled with Pomona-Pitzer’s overtime loss to Whittier, means that four teams are now tied for first place in SCIAC.  The Stags looked in control for the first thirty minutes as with 11 minutes to go, CMS held a 53-35 lead.  La Verne would go on a 24-9 run to close within three points with 3:25 to go, but the Stags played tough defense when it counted to win the game by three.

CMS started the game with five straight steals. Jason Toney (JR, Yorba Linda) and Patrick Lacey (SO, Orangevale) each had two, and La Verne could get nothing going offensively. Despite this, La Verne was able to tie the game 12-12 with a few three-pointers. The Stags then went on a 20-6 run, with Chris Blees (SO, Carmichael) driving for two layups and Joseph Anderson (FR, Lafayette) chipping in four points.

At the half the score was 34-22. The Leopards were hurting after CMS scored four points – two technical foul free throws and a layup by Anderson - on one trip down the court to take an eighteen point lead. Perhaps the technical foul fired them up as the next 8 minutes were all La Verne.

With 3:30 to go, John Leggett stole the ball and scored to bring the Leopards within three points. Toney answered with a driving layup as the shot clock wound down and the Leopards Pierre Baker came right back with a jumper to make the score 64-61.  That ended up being the final score as the teams combined for three missed three-pointers and three turnovers down the stretch and Leopard guard Kyle Luhnow missed a tying effort at the buzzer.
Chris Blees led all scorers with 15 points and seven rebounds and Toney added ten. Tejas Gala (SR, Arcadia) pulled down seven rebounds, including two crucial boards down the stretch. The Stags had assists on only five of twenty-four field goals, relying on solo efforts,  points off turnovers and putbacks to get the job done.

CMS, Pomona-Pitzer, Whittier, and Cal Lutheran will compete in the SCIAC Tournament next week, but it’s anyone’s guess as to which team will be the number one seed. The picture may become clearer Saturday as CMS plays at Whittier and Pomona-Pitzer hosts Cal Lutheran.