CLAREMONT, Calif. — Despite a game-high 22 points from Joe Cookson, Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball fell at the buzzer 59-58 to the University of Chicago Tuesday night at Voelkel Gymnasium.
 
Season Impact: The loss drops the Sagehens' record to 4-5 on the season, including 0-2 in SCIAC play. 
 
Cookson led all scorers with 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting, also adding four rebounds. Matthew Diekmann contributed 16 points while Ty Bergman posted 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-high six blocks. The Sagehens out-shot the Maroons 40.4% to 35.3%, but gave up 13 offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points. 
 
Trailing 57-53 with 1:46 to go, Pete Boyle drained a corner triple to bring the Sagehens within a point, 57-56. Neither team managed to score until, with five seconds remaining, Pomona-Pitzer called timeout with the ball. Out of the timeout, Owen Avdalovic found Diekmann for a wide open layup, giving the Sagehens a 58-57 advantage with four seconds left. Chicago's Thomas Kurowski, though, proceeded to score a driving layup through traffic just before the buzzer sounded, giving the Maroons the 59-58 win. 
 
Chicago started the game quickly, leading 16-8 midway through the first half. Pomona-Pitzer fought its way back, as a Bergman layup and a pair of Diekmann free throws brought the team within two, 21-19. Back-to-back layups from Bergman and Cookson later gave the Sagehens a 29-27 advantage. Cookson hit a trio of free throws over the final minute of the half as Pomoona-Pitzer led 32-29 at the break. 
 
Neither team could build a sizable lead early in the second half, as a Bergman jumper brought the Sagehens' advantage to two, 41-39, five minutes in. The Maroons led by as many as seven with 7:58 remaining before Cookson scored a lay-in and Diekmann hammered home a baseline jam to bring Pomona-Pitzer within three, 50-47. 
 
Avdalovic later found Bergman for a layup before Cookson scored another of his own, making it 53-51 for Chicago. Diekmann scored a driving layup with 3:09 left then Boyle's triple with 1:46 to go brought the Sagehens within a point, 57-56. Though Diekmann scored again with four seconds remaining it was the Maroons who came away with the dramatic 59-58 victory. 
 
Up Next: Pomona-Pitzer returns to the court on Friday, Jan. 3, against Swarthmore College at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. PT.