The Kingsmen now stand at 3-4 in conference play, and their overall record dropped to 7-11. The win brings Claremont up to 6-1 in conference at 12-6 overall.
Miles Taylor starred for the Stags, leading all players with 25 points at 16 rebounds. He also recorded two blocks and two steals on defense. Emanuel Maceira and John Parsons also scored in double digits for Claremont with 14 and 13 respectively. Deshion Inniss and Phil Lehmann led the Kingsmen on offense with 11 points each. CLU center Zach Miller grabbed 10 boards and blocked a game-high four shots.
Claremont won with a conservative approach on offense. The Stags attempted only six three-pointers in the game, compared to 26 by the Kingsmen. The two teams were equally successful from the field (37.7% for CMS, 35.8% for CLU), but the difference in the game was made up in free throws. Cal Lutheran sent Claremont to the line for 25 free throws, and they hit on 19 of them. The Stags were stingy with the fouls, sending their opponents to the line only six times. Claremont also had the advantage in rebounds (43-28).
The next contest for the Kingsmen will be this Saturday, February 4 when they host Caltech in the second game of a doubleheader at CLU Gymnasium. The men’s game will start at 7:30 p.m., and the women’s game will tip off at 5:00 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on www.ibsu.net.