Down by 15 points early in the second half, the University of La Verne would rally against Pomona-Pitzer but watch the Sagehens reverse fortunes to pull out a 70-66 triumph over the Leopards in SCIAC men's basketball action Saturday at Voelkel Gymnasium in Claremont.
La Verne (4-12, 3-5 SCIAC) led 62-60 with three minutes left but couldn't hold on as Pomona-Pitzer's Jake Klewer sparked the home team with eight of his team's final 10 points over the final 2:08 of the game.
A jumper by Ronn See put the Leopards on top 62-60 at 3:01, but Klewer helped the Hens reclaim the lead on a three-pointer 63-62 with over two minutes remaining. After La Verne came up empty on the ensuing possession, Klewer added a pair of free throws for a 65-62 Sagehen lead.
After Jake Veith hit two foul shots for the Leos to slice the deficit to a point, Klewer would score on a layup and later add a free throw, giving the Sagehens a four point lead with 22 seconds left on their way to the win.
Pomona-Pitzer (11-5, 6-2 SCIAC) started strong and controlled much of the first half, opening a 29-19 lead with three minutes left in the opening stanza before taking a 40-27 lead into halftime. The Sagehens would enjoy a 44-29 cushion with 18 minutes remaining before the Leopards mounted their comeback.
Trailing 53-41, the Leopards went on a 14-2 run, culminating on a Theo DeBerry jumper and free throw - to tie the contest at 55 at the 5:50 mark. A three-pointer from See with under four minutes left provided the Leos with a 60-58 lead, their first lead since a 5-4 advantage early in the first half.
The loss negated a solid shooting effort from the Leos, who finished 27-54 (50%) from the field and 6-9 (66.7%) from three-point range.
See enjoyed a strong performance for the Leopards with 16 points on 7-10 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists. Vieth totaled 13 points with Alex Wolpe adding 10 points.
Klewer led all scorers with 19 points while also posting a game-high 13 rebounds.
La Verne continues league action when it hosts Occidental College on Wednesday night at Frantz Athletic Court. Tip-off is 7:30 pm.
