LA VERNE- The University of La Verne men's basketball team lost to Beloit College 69-70 in overtime.

Shooting 48% from the field, the Leopards posted solid offense in the first half of the game.  Freshman Cruz Mertens shot 50% from the 3 point line going 3 for 6, with additional steady all around play by senior Ronn See.  La Verne led at the half 31-29.

The second half was a back and forth matchup between the two teams with 3 tied scores, 3 lead changes and a 42.85% shooting average for both teams from the field.  Trailing 53-58 at the one minute mark, La Verne lit a fire and Ronn See tied the game 62-62 with 0:02 left in the half - sending the game into overtime.

An exciting overtime battle ensued as the final decision went down to the 0:00.9 second mark of the game.  With the possession arrow in La Verne's favor, the Leos executed a perfect in bound play, but missed the hoop in the final shot of the game.

Senior Ronn See was the high contributor for the Leopards with 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

A special congratulations to Buckaneer James Lazarcik for passing his 1,000 point career mark in today's matchup.

The Leopards will next take the floor January 2nd against SCIAC opponent Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, Calif.  Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 PM.