CLAREMONT, Calif. — Behind a game-high 24 points from Joe Cookson, Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball defeated Whittier College 85-76 Wednesday night at Voelkel Gymnasium. 
 
Season Impact: The win boosts the Sagehens' record to 8-5 on the season, including 2-2 in SCIAC play. 
 
Cookson reached 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting, adding seven rebounds and five assists. Peyton Mullarkey contributed 16 points while Ty Bergman had 11 points and nine rebounds. Pete Boyle also reached double figures for Pomona-Pitzer, scoring 12 points to go with eight rebounds. 
 
As a team, the Sagehens dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Poets 52-38 and scoring 20 second chance points to Whittier's seven. Pomona-Pitzer shot 42.3% from the floor, including 32.5% from three, while holding the Poets to a 37.7% shooting clip. 
 
The Sagehens got out to an early 14-8 lead, after a Boyle trey and a driving layup from Sam Lind. A Mullarkey triple later gave Pomona-Pitzer a 32-19 advantage. Samir O'Brien found Cookson for a floater in the lane, but the Poets stormed back to cut the Sagehens' lead to two, 36-34, at the half. 
 
Whittier took a brief 37-36 lead early in the second half before a flurry of three-pointers from Bergman, Cookson and Mullarkey put Pomona-Pitzer back up, 45-37. Every time Whittier seemed to make a run the Sagehens had an answer, including a Cookson three to make it 64-56 midway through the second half. 
 
Cookson continued to score, as back-to-back baskets followed by a Lind three-pointer gave Pomona-Pitzer a 73-65 advantage with 4:39 left. Cookson and Lind traded three-pointers before Owen Avdalovic got a floater to fall late as the Sagehens came away with the 85-76 win. 
 
Up Next: Pomona-Pitzer remains home to take on La Verne on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 4:00 p.m. PT.