By Nathan Barnett, Po '11

CLAREMONT -- The Sagehens closed their 2010-2011 season with a home loss against their bitter rival, the CMS Stags, 59-44. After losing the first game in the rivalry 68-61 on January 19, it looked like the Sagehens had a chance at redemption after taking an early lead and then trailing at half by only 8 at half, 29-21, after going 0-for-7 from 3PT range. Some shots just needed to drop, and the Sagehens could pull off the upset.

But it wasn't to be. Pomona-Pitzer went just 2-for-8 from behind the 3PT line in the second half to finish at 13% from downtown; the Stags, on the other hand, were 7-for-17 from long-range, ballooning the Sagehen's DIII best three-point percentage defense, which came into the game at around 25%.

Seniors R.J. Maki, Shawn Stephen, and Bobby McNitt, playing in their final game for the Sagehens were honored before the game, recieving hugs and handshakes from the coaching staff and garnering a nice applause from the hometown crowd in Voelkel Gymnasium. The spotlight, however, would be on the young Stags, who graduate only three players off of a team that shared the SCIAC regular season title with Redlands. Tuesday, they were led by young Kevin Sullivan (SO, Beaverton, OR) who piled on 13 points and went 3-for5 from downtown.

Donald Okpalugo (SO, Manchester, UK) had his best 6th street performance of his young career, scoring 11 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and distributing 5 assists. James Xavyr Moss (SO, Federal Way, WA), the team's leading scorer this season, put up 9 points and grabbed 5 boards.

While the Sagehens are done this season, the Stags will host the La Verne Leopards Friday night in the SCIAC semi-finals. Win and they will take on Cal Lutheran at home or Redlands on the road Saturday night.