Claremont, Calif. - Junior forward Jake Klewer (Tucson, Ariz.) had 14 points and 14 rebounds, including the clinching defensive board off a deliberately missed foul shot with 1.6 seconds left, as the Pomona-Pitzer Men's Basketball team defeated Cal Lutheran 60-58 on Wednesday evening at Voelkel Gymnasium.
With the win, Pomona-Pitzer improves to 5-2 overall on the season and 2-1 in the SCIAC, while Cal Lutheran slips to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Cal Lutheran trailed 60-57 when they took possession with 35 seconds left with a chance to tie it with a three-pointer. Corey Quintana, who had all 15 of his points in the second half, slipped free into the corner for what appeared to be a good look at the tying three, but junior forward John Weiss (Cleveland, Ohio) flew out at him and blocked the shot at full extension, nearly coming down with the rebound as well before stepping on the sideline with 10.6 left.
Quintana got a second look at a three-pointer at the top of the key while falling off-balance and missed it off the front rim. Jayvaughn Nettled got the offensive rebound and was fouled with 1.6 seconds left, making the first to cut the lead to 60-58 before missing the second on purpose. Klewer, though, outjumped everyone for the rebound in the paint and secured it with both hands as the clock expired.
Pomona-Pitzer led by 12 early in the second half (44-32) on a Klewer lay-up, but Quintana caught fire and brought the Kingsmen all the way back to even at 51-51 on a three-pointer with 6:26 left. Sophomore guard Kyle McAndrews (Seattle, Wash.) drove to the basket for a lay-up and hit two foul shots to put the Sagehens back up by four, and after a Cal Lutheran basket, he kicked the ball out senior guard Harrison Green (New York, N.Y.) for a three-pointer with 4:00 left to make the score 58-53.
However, the Kingsmen rallied yet again, as Quintana scored a lay-up off a feed from Nettles, and after a stop, Nettles drove down the paint for another lay-up to make the score 58-57 with 2:42 left. Then, after a one-minute possession in which the Sagehens had four offensive rebounds, Weiss finally converted underneath with 1:44 on the clock to push the lead to 60-57.
A Pomona-Pitzer turnover on a five-second call with 58 seconds left gave the Kingsmen the ball, but Klewer drew an offensive foul in the paint on Jeremy Sulker-Hall to dodge the first threat. After Weiss missed the front end of a one-and-one, he bounced back with a big blocked shot on Quintana and the Sagehens were able to hold on for the narrow win.
McAndrews finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists for Pomona-Pitzer, while senior guard Xavyr Moss (Federal Way, Wash.) added 11 points and five assists. Sulker-Hall had a double-double for Cal Lutheran with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Pomona-Pitzer will be back in action on Saturday when it travels to La Verne for its last SCIAC game of 2012, before the league schedule begins again in January.