ORANGE, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's basketball continued to show flashes of grit on Monday afternoon but ultimately came up short in a 67-55 road loss to Chapman inside Hutton Sports Center.

The Kingsmen slipped to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in SCIAC play, while the Panthers improved to 10-6 (4-3 SCIAC).

Chapman struck first, opening the game with an early three-pointer and layup, but CLU eventually settled into the contest and began to find its offensive rhythm. Jaden Young got the Kingsmen on the board at the free-throw line, while baskets from Young and Cody Shen helped keep Cal Lutheran within reach.

After Chapman built a brief cushion midway through the half, the Kingsmen leaned on their depth. Matthew Verkamp scored inside, while PJ Jourdain, Josh DeVore, and Young each connected from beyond the arc to cut into the deficit. Despite Chapman closing the half on a small run, the Purple & Gold stayed composed and entered the break trailing just 31-25.

The Kingsmen came out with energy in the second half, opening the period with a pair of free throws from Andrew Pipersburgh and a fastbreak dunk by Aidan Crawford to spark momentum. A Camden Hyde three-pointer later trimmed the margin to three, making it a one-possession game and forcing the Panthers to respond.

Chapman answered with timely shooting down the stretch, but Cal Lutheran continued to compete, getting contributions from across the lineup. Ryder Mjoen and Pipersburgh each converted key baskets, while Verkamp scored inside late to keep the Kingsmen within single digits in the final minutes.

Mjoen led Cal Lutheran with 11 points off the bench, while Pipersburgh added 10 points and six rebounds. Verkamp finished with eight points, and Young and Shen contributed seven points apiece. The Kingsmen received 35 points from their bench and shot 85.7 percent from the free-throw line, capitalizing when opportunities were available.

Cal Lutheran will look to regroup and snap the skid as it continues conference play, returning home Wednesday, January 21 to face Pomona-Pitzer. The Sagehens (6-9, 2-5 SCIAC) are coming off an 81-66 home loss to Redlands.