A buzzer beater by Pomona-Pitzer’s Jake Klewer resulted in the first loss of the season for NAIA No. 8-ranked Westmont men’s basketball team as the Sagehens (1-0) defeated the Warriors 81-79. Five Warriors scored in double figures and two recorded double-doubles in the loss.
“It was a great college game from a fan’s perspective,” said Westmont head coach John Moore, whose team is now 3-1. “But they out executed us throughout the game, particularly at the end.”
C.J. Miller scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while Jordan Sachs added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Both players also had three assists.
“Jordan led us well and C.J. had a really nice game,” said Moore.
Preston Branson led the Warriors with 16 points and Mantas Drungys added another 15. Cooper Damron recorded 12 points and five rebounds.
Neither team led by more than seven points at any time during the game. With two minutes remaining in the game, Pomona-Pitzer led by just one point (73-72). After the Sagehen’s Donald Okpalugo made one of two free throws, Sachs sank two from the charity stripe to tie the game at 74-all with 1:34 to play.
A steal by Niko Brooks on the Sagehen’s next possession led to Branson putting the Warriors up by three on an “and-one” play. Then a layup by John Weiss made it a one-point game. However, Branson made two shots from the free throw line to restore the Warriors’ three-point lead (79-76) with 35 seconds remaining in the contest.
Fifteen seconds later, Kyle McAndrews drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 79-79 with 20 seconds to play.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a defensive stop,” said Moore. “We had the ball with 20 seconds left and tried to put it in Preston’s hands. Unfortunately we turned the ball over with a chance to win the game, giving them the ball and a chance to win.”
Michael Cohen produced the steal that led to Klewer’s last second heroics, giving Pomona-Pitzer a victory on their home opener.
The Warriors remain in the Pomona area tonight, then take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps tomorrow night beginning at 7:30 p.m.
