CLAREMONT, Calif. - Facing the top team in the conference and the No. 15 team in the nation, Cal Lutheran opened a 26-22 lead at the intermission but a spark by CMS late in the second half toppled that effort as CLU fell 59-53. Tonight marked the mid-way point of the league schedule for the Kingsmen.

Box Score: CMS 59, CLU 53 - F

Cal Lutheran came out fired up and took an early nine point lead. The Stags would claw their way back into things and keep the score close throughout the remainder of the opening half, but it was the Kingsmen, looking for their first road victory of the SCIAC season, who took a four-point, 26-22, lead at the break.

Although Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was able to limit Aaron Van Klaveren, the SCIAC Player of the Week last week, and Mike Harris to just five combined points in the first 20 minutes, CLU used other weapons to stay ahead of the Stags. Xavier Walton fueled the Kingsmen as he led all players with 13 points, going 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-5 at the free-throw line in the period. CLU knocked down 55 percent of its first half shots.

The strong Kingsmen defense created struggles for CMS shooting the ball as the Stags were just 24 percent from the field in the opening half. CLU limited the production of Chris Blees to a mere three points.

The tides, however, turned at the mid-way point of the second stanza. A pair of Walton free-throws gave CLU a 39-31 lead, but that was as separated as the teams would get.

With just over 10 minutes in regulation, CMS got the spark they were looking for on a pair of back-to-back buckets. The second was courtesy of a CLU turnover, which got the Stags within five and ignited the CMS crowd. That was the beginning of a 14-5 run, which gave CMS their first lead of the second half.

Jayvaughn Nettles twice tied the game via three-point shots as he was 5-for-6 from long range in the second half, finishing with a game high 21 points. Unfortunately, though for the Kingsmen, their hottest player in the game was called for a foul, his fifth of the night, with 3:57 remaining in regulation.

With 2:44 to go, a Ryan Benson free-throw for the Kingsmen would pull the squad within three at 52-49. CLU was just 2-for-8 in the final two minutes while CMS would go on convert 5-for-8 free-throws down the stretch to seal the victory and remain atop the league standings.

Overall, CLU cooled off to shoot just 31 percent in the final 20 minutes as the Stags headed up, connecting on 50 percent of their attempts.

 The Kingsmen were stronger on the glass with 38 rebounds to CMS' 29.

Van Klaveren turned in yet another double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds, which led all players on the court. Walton finished with 17 points for CLU.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (16-1, 6-1 SCIAC) spread out the scoring but Tyler Gaffney and Jack Grodahl paced the pack with 13 and 11 points, respectively. CLU limited Blees to just seven points.

Cal Lutheran (6-11, 2-5) will return to action on Wednesday, February 1 when the host the Poets of Whittier College (13-5, 5-2) at 7:30 p.m. at the Gilbert Arena.