CLU Offense Makes Token Appearance in Loss

The beleaguered offense of Cal Lutheran’s basketball team awoke just long enough to make it interesting Tuesday night, but it never posed a real threat to visiting Westmont College.

Westmont spent most of the second half protecting a 20-point halftime lead, and the Warriors eventually held onto 12 points of that advantage to claim a 95-83 Golden State Athletic Conference victory.

For Cal Lutheran, the loss was the latest disappointment in a season full of letdowns.

“We’ve really been digging holes for ourselves,” Cal Lutheran Coach Larry Lopez said. “I don’t know why it takes us so long to get going.”

Faced with the 20-point deficit, Cal Lutheran’s offense finally got untracked at the outset of the second half. The Kingsmen then made a spirited--if futile--charge.

“We have been playing real well lately, except for about seven minutes of each game,” said Lopez, whose Kingsmen dropped to 8-15, 2-7 in conference play.

Cal Lutheran cut Westmont’s lead to seven in the last three minutes, but the Kingsmen could get no closer.

The Kingsmen outscored Westmont, 24-14, in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but just when Cal Lutheran closed to within striking distance, the Warrior offense rose up and took charge.

Westmont Coach Chet Kammerer said that he was surprised at how tenaciously the Kingsmen played during their rally.

“We missed some good opportunities inside in the second half, but we just could not stop them late in the game,” Kammerer said. “We put as much pressure on them as we could.”

Kammerer said that the Warriors’ ability to control the boards in the first half was the key to their halftime lead.

Westmont (14-9, 8-1) outrebounded Cal Lutheran, 18-12, in the first half and 35-29 in the game.

Cal Lutheran stayed close through the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Warriors spent the second 10 minutes burying Cal Lutheran.

With the score tied, 18-18, with 10:25 left in the half, Westmont launched a 23-4 run to take a commanding lead. Chris Hahs made two free throws after center Mike Demeter’s intentional foul to give Westmont its biggest lead, 46-24, with 1:48 left in the half.

Steve deLaveaga scored a game-high 34 points for Cal Lutheran, which dropped its third game in a row. Jeff Logsdon added 13 points and Charles Jackson and Dave Rowlands had 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Mike Kelly came off the bench to lead Westmont with 18 points.

Kelly has played in five games after sitting out 10 games because of a stress fracture in his right foot.

Brad Smidt added 16 points for the Warriors, who have won six in a row and 11 of their past 13. Peter Partain added 15 points for Westmont and Dan Swanner had 14.

With five games remaining for Cal Lutheran, Lopez said that the Kingsmen’s chances of making the NAIA District 3 playoffs are slim.

“We would have to win all five games to even have a chance,” Lopez said.

The Kingsmen play host to Azusa Pacific on Saturday.