CLAREMONT, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball team defeated La Verne 80-66 on Saturday night in Claremont.
Season Impact: With the win, the Sagehens are 9-5 overall and 3-2 in SCIAC play.
The Sagehens had three players that scored in double figures. Joe Cookson led the way and had 236 points and a team high of four assists, Ty Bergman had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Pete Boyle scored ten.
The Leopards started strong, jumping to an 8-3 lead by the 16:32 mark however, the Sagehens quickly found their rhythm behind the efforts of Joe Cookson and Ty Bergman. The game turned at the 10:01 mark when Bergman's layup tied the score at 17-all, shifting momentum in favor of the Sagehens. Cookson then took over, sinking three crucial three-pointers, including one at 2:29 to give the Sagehens a 31-30 lead. He added another triple in the final seconds, making their lead 36-30 at halftime.
Pomona-Pitzer extended their lead, highlighted by Peyton Mullarkey's three-pointer at 18:07 and Pete Boyle's triple at 16:59, pushing the score to 44-33.The Leopards struggled to find offensive consistency, committing turnovers and missing key shots in the paint. Meanwhile, the Sagehens continued their hot shooting, with Joe Cookson hitting a deep three at 15:53 to stretch the lead to 47-33. Sam Lindalso hit another three-pointer at 14:30 to increase the gap to 50-33. Bergman continued to dominate inside, scoring multiple times in the paint, while Owen Avdalovic and Sam Lind contributed jumpers to widen the margin further. The Leopards efforts were not enough to catch up with the Sagehens and the Sagehens ended the game on top 80-66.
Up Next: The Sagehens will be on the road against Redlands on Monday, January 20th at 7:00 p.m.
