SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Transfer junior Markel Leonard made two free throws and then scored a lay-up with 16 seconds left in Lewis & Clark's game at UC-Santa Cruz, cutting the Banana Slugs' lead to one point. The Pioneers couldn't hit any of their final three shots, however, losing 73-70 in their final game of the Mission Inn Kickoff Classic at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
UC-Santa Cruz hit on 56 percent of its shots compared to the Pioneers' 32 percent shooting. The Pios took 71 attempts in the game including 25 3-pointers.
Lewis & Clark finishes the two-day tournament with a split after Saturday's 66-62 defeat of Redlands, moving the Pios to 2-2 on the season. The win was UC-Santa Cruz's first of the season in four games.
Following Leonard's scores, UCSC picked up a free throw by Adam Marlow to lead 72-70 with 15 seconds left. Senior guard Jason Luhnow, who was kept to a season-low eight points, missed a jump shot before Cannen Roberson (pictured below right) claimed the offensive rebound and missed his own shot.
The Pios recovered the rebound and took a timeout, out of which Roberson missed the final shot of the game. Prior to the final two misses, Roberson was 5 of 7 shooting, finishing 55 percent from the floor with a game-high 17 points, his fifth straight in double figures. He made 2 of 3 tries from three-point range and pulled down five rebounds.
Kupa'a Harrison had a double-double in a reserve role, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, both career highs. Leonard was the third Pioneers player to score double digits, ending the game with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Luhnow's eight points is his fewest since scoring five against Willamette last February, as well as his smallest total in a game where he played 30-plus minutes since Jan. 30 against Whitworth, where he also scored eight points. Guards Cory Coombe and Kyle Owens also scored eight points in Sunday's loss.
The Banana Slugs had three starters who scored 10-plus, led by Will Crain and Sam Gabbard's 16 points, followed by Marlow's 13 points. Marlow finished with a triple-double, adding 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Jared Ponce was close to making it four players over 10 points, finishing with nine.
UC-Santa Cruz won the rebounding margin, 42-41, despite Lewis & Clark controlling the offensive boards 20-9. The Pios held a free-throw percentage advantage, making 65 percent of theirs whereas UCSC went 52 percent.
Lewis & Clark also kept care of the ball, committing 11 fewer turnovers than the Banana Slugs, 18-7, but only held a four-point edge in points off turnovers, 17-13.
The Pioneers return to Portland to face St. John's (Minn.) on Friday at 7 p.m. Northwest Conference play starts on Dec. 4-5 at Whitworth and Whitman, respectively. After a trip to Evergreen St. on Dec. 9, Lewis & Clark hosts D3hoops.com preseason No. 1 Augustana (Ill.) on Dec. 20.