Claremont, Calif. - The Pomona-Pitzer Men's Basketball team, playing without five of its key players, battled league co-leader Cal Lutheran down to the closing minutes but the Kingsmen pulled away at the end for a 62-55 win on Saturday afternoon at Voelkel Gymnasium. 

Pomona-Pitzer slips to 2-10 on the year and 0-3 in the SCIAC with its ninth straight defeat, all of which have come by single digits. Cal Lutheran improves to 9-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. 

The Sagehens began the game without senior starting guards Michael Cohen and Joe Eyen, junior forward Reid Callan and freshman forward Spencer Schwartz with injuries, then lost starting big man Gibson Farone-Collins to a leg injury three minutes into the game.  

Despite being reduced to minimal numbers, the Sagehens led 21-20 at the break. Senior guard Adrian Brandon had a layup with 4:05 left to bring Pomona-Pitzer within 45-43, but senior guard Arik Smith came through with several key plays. He blocked a potential tying lay-up from Brandon on a fast break and scored on a driving lay-up at the other end. 

Smith then had a steal and fast break layup to push the lead to 49-43 and after Hunter Lowry hit a three-pointer to pull the Sagehens within 49-46, Smith hit back-to-back 18-foot jumpers late in the shot clock to extend the margin to 53-46 with 1:12 to go. 

Senior guard Kyle McAndrews hit a tough 15-foot fallaway to close to 53-48 in the final minute, but Cal Lutheran hit eight straight foul shots, including 6-6 from Coltrane Powdrill, to put the game away.

Powdrill finished with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds for Cal Lutheran, while Smith finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Brandon led the Sagehens with 15 points and McAndrews had 14 and nine rebounds. 

Pomona-Pitzer is back in action on Tuesday with a road game at Chapman at 7:30 p.m.