THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Five Kingsmen reached double-figure scoring to lead Cal Lutheran men's basketball to the SCIAC Tournament Championship for the second-straight year, beating Chapman in the semifinals 85-76 at Gilbert Arena on Friday evening.
The Kingsmen (23-3) defeated the Panthers (15-11) in the semifinals after sweeping the two-game set in the regular season and have won 19 straight games dating back to Dec. 18, 2023.
Patrick Renane and Nick Attanasio provided a spark off the bench, scoring 16 points and 14 points, respectively. Brock Susko was next with 13 points, while Devon Lewis and Riley O'Connor both added 11 points. Stephen Davis had an impactful game, leading the Kingsmen in rebounding and assists with seven in each category.
The Kingsmen secured the victory with stellar bench play and three-point shooting. The team went 13-23 (56.5%) from three, while the reserves were responsible for 47 of the Kingsmen's 85 points.
The Panthers brought big energy on defense and jumped out to a 17-8 lead. In the first half, Attanasio and O'Connor came off the bench and were key in the Kingsmen's efforts to keep the score close. Every time the Panthers made efforts to separate themselves on the scoreboard, Attanasio answered with a three-pointer to erase any momentum the away team had. He finished the half with 12 points all from beyond the arc, going a perfect 4-4. O'Connor had nine points at halftime, including back-to-back threes at the end of the half to get the Kingsmen within two points of the deficit.
Davis dished out a beautiful pass to a cutting Susko for the Kingmen's first points of the second half, making it 43-39 Panthers. The Kingsmen defense stepped up in the last 20 minutes, holding the Panthers to just 39.29% shooting compared to 57.14% in the first half. At the 9:22 mark, Davis hit a three to give the Kingsmen their first lead since the score was 3-2, and they never trailed the rest of the way. Davis' three was the start of a 9-0 Kingsmen run.
With a minute remaining in the contest, Lewis sunk the dagger, a floater in traffic to make it 78-71. The Kingsmen went 7-8 from the free throw line to close it out and advance to the SCIAC Tournament Championship.
The Kingsmen will face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (20-6, 13-3 SCIAC) for the SCIAC crown and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. They split the season series with the Stags, falling to them on the road but beating them at home. The showdown will be at Gilbert Arena tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
