Stags Clip Golden Eagles' Wings

CMS used a 39-10 second half run to pull away from La Sierra University 78-45 in Riverside on Saturday night. It was the seventh straight win for the Stags and the ninth straight loss for the Golden Eagles.  CMS improved 7-1 overall while La Sierra dropped to 1-9.

The game was closer than the final score revealed, as inconsistency continued to plague the Stags. CMS raced to a 20 point lead in the first half, but La Sierra closed it to 14 by the break.  The Golden Eagles closed to within seven early in the second half, forcing coach Ken Scalmanini to rally his troops. La Sierra tried to press the Stags, but the pressure in the backcourt made it easier for them to score in the frontcourt.  During the game closing 39-10 run CMS made plenty of fastbreak layups and ran away from the Eagles in the last ten minutes.

Six different players hit three pointers for CMS and every Stag logged minutes. Conner Faught (JR, Agoura Hills [pictured]) had 15 points in 13 minutes, making four of five attempts from the three-point line. Matt Richardson (FR, Belmont) had three assists, three rebounds and a three pointer.  Patrick Lacey (SO, Orangevale) led the team with six rebounds while Chris Blees (SO, Carmichael) led with four assists.

The Stags will take a week off for final exams. They will put their win streak on the line this Saturday, December 20 at Concordia University (Irvine, CA). Concordia will be a stiff challenge for the Stags. They are the fourth-ranked team in the NAIA and beat Pomona-Pitzer 93-48 earlier this season.