THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's basketball left Gilbert Arena down but not finished on Saturday afternoon, falling 86-82 to Occidental College despite a furious second-half comeback on Senior Day.

Before tipoff, seniors Andrew Pipersburgh, Camden Hyde, Luke Varechok and Ze'ev Remer were honored for their commitment and contributions to Kingsmen basketball. The quartet played an instrumental role in keeping Cal Lu in postseason contention down the stretch, and while Saturday didn't end the way the Kingsmen hoped, their season isn't over.

Help arrived hours later as Whittier's loss to Redlands secured Cal Lutheran a spot in the SCIAC Tournament, sending the Kingsmen back to Eagle Rock for a first-round rematch with the Tigers on Wednesday.

Oxy came out red-hot on Saturday, shooting nearly 69 percent in the first half and drilling 10 three-pointers to build a 50-32 halftime lead. The Tigers never trailed and led by as many as 21 in the opening 20 minutes, but the Kingsmen didn't fold.

Cal Lu stole the momentum after the break, shooting 50 percent in the second half and ramping up the pressure. Ryder Mjoen sparked the rally with a trio of early threes, trimming the deficit to single digits less than five minutes into the period.

The Kingsmen had multiple chances in the final moments, with Matthew Verkamp and Cody Shen burying clutch baskets that pulled CLU within one possession. Shen's late three-point play cut the deficit to one in the closing seconds, but Oxy converted just enough at the stripe to seal the 86-82 decision.

Mjoen finished with a game-high 23 points, knocking down five three-pointers and converting all four free throws. Shen added 14 points off the bench, including that late and-one, while Verkamp chipped in 13.

Jaden Young added eight points and five assists, and Hyde provided a strong presence on the glass with six rebounds while Remer tallied six points and four boards in his Senior Day start.

The Kingsmen bench once again provided a spark, outscoring Oxy's reserves 30-12. Cal Lu also dominated points in the paint (40-32), fastbreak points (16-7) and second-chance points (15-7) in the tightly contested afternoon.

Cal Lutheran closes the regular season at 13-12 overall and 8-8 in SCIAC play and now shifts its focus to the postseason. The Kingsmen will travel to face Oxy in the first round of the SCIAC Tournament on Wednesday, February 25 at 7 p.m., looking to flip the script in a win-or-go-home rematch.