THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Senior
Sam Henderson scored 18 of his team-high 20 points in the second half to help Lewis & Clark College men's basketball erase a 22-point first-half deficit and tie the game late, but No. 25 California Lutheran University hit crucial shots in the final two minutes to secure an 83-79 victory Friday afternoon at Gilbert Arena.
THE BASICS
#25 Cal Lutheran 83, Lewis & Clark 79
(Lewis & Clark 5-4, 1-0 NWC)
(Cal Lutheran 7-2, 2-0 SCIAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Henderson led the Pioneers, shooting 88.9% (8-9) from the field and 75% (3-4) from the free-throw line. Senior
Griffin Datcher IV added a season-high 16 points and a team-high six rebounds. Senior
Mikey Medlock Jr. contributed 10 points, including two 3-pointers, and junior
Kody Uyesugi matched him with two baskets from long range and 10 points.
Cal Lutheran seized early momentum, building a 22-9 advantage through the first 10 minutes. The Pioneers struggled to find rhythm early, but Medlock Jr. and Uyesugi hit back-to-back 3-pointers to end a 10-2 Kingsmen run and start cutting into the 22-point deficit. Cal Lutheran took a 42-26 lead into halftime behind Devon Lewis's 18 first-half points.
The Pioneers transformed after intermission, opening the second half with renewed defensive intensity and offensive efficiency. Henderson scored 18 second-half points, including a crucial 3-pointer that pulled Lewis & Clark within 49-42 six and a half minutes into the second half.
In the game's final 10 minutes, senior
Isaac Ticeson (nine points, five rebounds) and junior
Andre Treadwell (seven points, five rebounds) energized the comeback off the bench as they combined to score 11 of the team's 29 points during that timeframe. Ticeson, returning after a preseason injury, found Treadwell, who hit a crucial 3-pointer that pulled Lewis & Clark within 60-56 with 8:16 remaining. The Pioneers bench outscored the Kingsmen 38-14.
Lewis & Clark's defense proved instrumental in the rally, recording a new program-record 12 blocks in a single game, including four from senior
Nate Berg (five rebounds) and a career-high three from junior
Taien Jackson (five rebounds). The previous record of 10 blocks was set on Dec. 7, 1996, against Holy Names College.
Ticeson's layup with 2:07 remaining completed the comeback, tying the game at 72-72. However, Cal Lutheran's Lewis answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession. Despite getting within two points multiple times in the final minute, including on Henderson's layup with 29 seconds left that made it 79-77, the Pioneers couldn't overtake the Kingsmen. Lewis sealed the victory at the free-throw line, finishing with a game-high 41 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The previous program record for blocks in a single game was tied four times, most recently on Jan. 18, 2020, against Puget Sound.
- First-year Jake Rodriguez and junior Justin White rounded out the Pioneers' scoring with five and two points, respectively.
- Besides Berg and Jackson, Ticeson had two blocks, while Henderson, Medlock Jr. and White added one each to contribute to the record.
- Lewis & Clark dominated inside, winning the battle on the boards 38-33 and outscoring Cal Lutheran 44-28 in the paint and 12-5 on second-chance points.
- The Pioneers shot 48.4% (30-62) from the field for the game and outscored the Kingsmen 53-41 in the second half on 66.7% (20-30) shooting.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark wraps up their Southern California road trip against Chapman University on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Orange, California.
