The University of La Verne men's basketball team used a stifling second-half defense to claim a 59-51 victory over Caltech Wednesday evening.

The Leopards (6-11, 3-6 SCIAC) found themselves in a hole after allowing an 18-7 run by the Beavers (3-15, 0-9 SCIAC) midway through the first period. Caltech controlled the boards (16-11) and sank 15-of-30 shot attempts to take a 38-30 lead at the break.

But the Leos tightened the screws in the second half, allowing only five Beaver field goals, including anemic 1-of-12 shooting from long range.  The La Verne offense, meanwhile, kept working to the tune of 29 points and an efficient 12-of-23 from the field. The Leopards used a 16-2 run in the final minutes to secure the 59-51 victory.

Senior guard Ron See connected on 8-of-13 shots to score a game-high 20 points as well as a team-high five rebounds. Sophomore guard Weston Newell had 13 points and four steals. The Leos shot 52.4 percent (22-42) while holding Caltech to 33.9 percent (20-59) from the floor. The Beavers held a 36-30 advantage on the boards, but La Verne score 28 points in the paint, nearly doubling Caltech's output of 16.

La Verne is slated to travel to Santa Cruz to face off with the Banana Slugs of UC-Santa Cruz Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.