Kingsmen Come up Short Against Chapman
CLU splits tournament contests
Deshion Inniss soars over the Chapman big men to score two of his game-high 19 points on Saturday.
Photo: Tracy Maple · Hi-res imagePASADENA, Calif. - The California Lutheran University men's basketball team fell to Chapman University on Saturday night, 51-49 to wrap up the Cal Lutheran/Caltech Classic at Caltech. The Kingsmen trailed by two and launched a baseline three-pointer just before the final buzzer, clanking the front of the rim and ending the CLU comeback.
The first few minutes of Saturday's game were in contrast to the Kingsmen season opener, trailing the Panthers 15-4 midway through the first half. However, CLU's Deshion Inniss would score 11 points to spark a Kingsmen run to close out the opening period and trail by just four at the half.
After both teams traded baskets for much of the second half and CLU trailing by five midway through the second half, sophomore Bethel Hailemichael took over the game for the next five minutes scoring all 11 of his points and gave the Kingsmen a 47-44 lead with 5:07 left.
However, the Panthers went on a 7-0 run lasting three minutes before Cal Lutheran's Mychal Owens cut the lead to two scoring his eighth point with 1:08 remaining.
Inniss, who scored a game-high 19 points, missed a game-tying jumper with seven seconds left but the Kingsmen retained possession. Sophomore Kyle Knudsen received the inbounds pass and fired the possible game-winning three-pointer with the buzzer sounding in flight, but it came up just short.
Cal Lutheran (1-1) will play in two weeks on the road against La Sierra on Saturday, December 8 at 7:30 pm.
BOX SCORE: CHAP 51, CLU 49 F
