LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Ty Bergman dropped 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds while Joe Cookson poured in 22 points and five boards as Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball cruised to an 85-71 win at Occidental College Wednesday night. 
 
Season Impact: The win improves the Sagehens' record to 14-10 on the season, including 8-7 in SCIAC play. 
 
Bergman reached 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting, adding two steals and an assist to his career-high 17 rebounds. Cookson shot 9-of-17 from the floor to go with five assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals. Samir O'Brien contributed 12 points and four rebounds while Matthew Diekmann pitched in 11 points. 
 
The Tigers got out to a quick start, leading 14-5 through the first four minutes. But the Sagehens responded with a 10-0 run, with Bergman, Cookson, Owen Avdalovic and O'Brien scoring layups to take a 15-14 lead. Avdalovic later found Bergman for a lay-in to tie the game at 28. Bergman added a jumper and Diekmann knocked down a pair of free throws just before the end of the half as Pomona-Pitzer led 40-39 at the break. 
 
Bergman and the Sagehens extended their lead early in the second half, with the senior forward hammering home a dunk and Sam Lind adding a trey to put the team up 48-41. Bergman scored again in the paint before an O'Brien triple made it 56-47 Sagehens. The Tigers fought back to within a point, 58-57, before a Diekmann lay-in gave Pomona-Pitzer some more breathing room. 
 
Teams traded baskets, with another basket from Bergman off a Peyton Mullarkey assist putting the Sagehens up 67-63 with 6:24 to go. Pomona-Pitzer kept its foot on the gas down the stretch, with an O'Brien dunk followed by a pair of Cookson jumpers giving the Sagehens a 76-68 lead with 2:06 left. Pomona-Pitzer knocked down a flurry of free throws in the final minutes, eventually coming away with the 85-71 win. 
 
Up Next: The Sagehens wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel to take on La Verne at 4:00 p.m. PT.