CLAREMONT, Calif. — Behind a game-high 23 points from Joe Cookson, Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball pulled away late to defeat Swarthmore College 74-61 Friday afternoon at Voelkel Gymnasium. 
 
Season Impact: The win improves the Sagehens' record to 5-5 on the season, including 0-2 in SCIAC play. 
 
Cookson reached 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, scoring nine of Pomona-Pitzer's final 13 points to close out the win. He also posted seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Three other Sagehens reached double-figures in scoring, with Pete Boyle notching 11 points and nine boards. Freshmen Samir O'Brien and Sam Lind each contributed 10 points, while Owen Avdalovic had 10 rebounds and nine points. 
 
With the game tied at 56 and 6:16 remaining, Avdalovic drained a three and Bergman hit a jumper to put Pomona-Pitzer up five with 4:42 left. Following a Garnet basket, Cookson then went on a personal 9-2 run to give the Sagehens a comfortable 70-61 lead with 2:06 to go. Matthew Diekman scored the game's final four points, as Pomona-Pitzer came away with the 74-61 win. 
 
Swarthmore got out to a quick start in the game, taking a 12-3 advantage early. The Garnet extended the lead to 13, 23-10, before Avdalovic nailed a three-pointer off an O'Brien assist. The Sagehens continued to mount a comeback, with Boyle scoring nine unanswered, including a pair of three's, to take a 24-23 lead. A Cookson three-point play just before the half gave Pomona-Pitzer a 40-31 advantage at the break. 
 
The Sagehens maintained a sizable lead early in the second half, with a Cookson lay-in and a pair of Boyle free throws making it 52-40. But the Garnet came storming back, using a 12-0 run to tie the game at 52. Teams then traded baskets, as the game remained tied at 56, before Cookson and Pomona-Pitzer managed to pull away and seal the 74-61 win. 
 
Up Next: The Sagehens return to Voelkel Gymnasium tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 4, to take on Skidmore College at 1:00 p.m. PT.