CLAREMONT, Calif. — Despite a game-high 34 points from Joe Cookson, Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball fell just short to Cal Lutheran, 85-83, Wednesday night at Voelkel Gymnasium. 
 
Season Impact: The result drops the Sagehens to 10-8 on the season, including 4-5 in SCIAC play. 
 
Cookson reached 34 points on 13-of-15 shooting, tallying a season-best 86.7% shooting clip. He shot a perfect 4-of-4 from distance and added five rebounds and one assist. Sam Lind contributed 12 points while Ty Bergman pulled down a game-high 13 boards to go with eight points. Pete Boyle and Samir O'Brien each posted nine points for the Sagehens. 
 
Pomona-Pitzer held a 74-72 lead with 4:54 to go but couldn't quite hold on, as the Kingsmen scored five unanswered to take a 77-74 lead with 4:00 left and went on to seal the 85-83 win. The Sagehens had one final possession down two to tie or take the lead, but Cal Lutheran's defense held strong to claim the win. 
 
Cookson and the Sagehens got out to a quick start, with Diekmann hitting a triple before a Cookson jumper made it 16-9 for Pomona-Pitzer. Three-pointers from Lind and Peyton Mullarkey followed by another Cookson jumper put the Sagehens up 31-18. 
 
The Kingsmen, though, stormed back with a 16-0 run to later take a 36-34 lead. O'Brien got a pair of shots to fall as Cal Lutheran took a 41-40 lead at the half. 
 
Pomona-Pitzer started the second half strong, with Lind and Boyle trading treys to make it 50-45 Sagehens. Teams traded baskets, with Boyle knocking down another triple and Cookson adding one of his own from a Bergman assist to put Pomona-Pitzer up 58-53. Boyle knocked down yet another shot from deep as the Sagehens led 64-61 with 10:09 left. 
 
Both teams proceeded to take turns with the lead, with Bergman hammering home a dunk and Cookson knocking down a three to give Pomona-Pitzer a 71-67 advantage. Cal Lutheran scored the next five points before a pair of Cookson free throws made it 73-72 Sagehens. Samir O'Brien made another free throw to give the Sagehens a 74-72 advantage. But it would be their last lead of the night, as the Kingsmen scored the next five points to go up 77-74. 
 
Playing from behind the remainder of the contest, O'Brien knocked down a pull up jumper and Cookson got a driving layup to fall to bring Pomona-Pitzer within two, 81-79, with 2:00 left. The Kingsmen answered with a layup, before Lind put in a driving layup to make it 83-81 Cal Lutheran with 48 seconds left. 
 
Cookson got another layup to fall after the Kingsmen knocked down a pair of free throws, making it 85-83 Cal Lutheran with eight seconds remaining. The Kingsmen's Devon Lewis then missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Sagehens one final chance to tie or take the lead. But Cal Lutheran's defense held strong, coming up with a steal as time expired to seal the 85-83 Kingsmen win. 
 
Up Next: Pomona-Pitzer hits the road to take on Chapman on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 4:00 p.m. PT.