Kingsmen Shoot Blanks, 64-58

A shooting slump that began three games earlier worsened for Cal Lutheran on Wednesday night and the Kingsmen lost to Pomona-Pitzer, 64-58, in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball game at Thousand Oaks.

Pomona-Pitzer (10-4, 2-0 in conference play) missed eight of 10 free throws in the final 63 seconds, but Cal Lutheran trimmed only one point of a 62-55 deficit down the stretch.

“We had our chances, but we didn’t cash in on them,” Cal Lutheran Coach Rich Rider said. “We didn’t shoot well and when you don’t shoot well, nothing seems to go right.”

Cal Lutheran (9-4, 1-1), which made only 37.3% (22 of 59) of its shots, went on a 16-4 run in the first six minutes of the second half to take a 43-38 lead with 13:58 left to play.

But Kingsmen went scoreless for the next 6 1/2 minutes, missing 12 consecutive shots and committing three turnovers before Andy Saint’s jump shot narrowed the deficit to 47-45 with 7:19 to go.

Cal Lutheran tied the score, 47-47, when Johnny Allen was fouled while scoring on a drive, but he missed the ensuing free throw and the Kingsmen never caught up after David Sofro nailed a three-point basket--his only points of the game--to give the Sagehens a 50-47 lead.

Saint, who had 19 points and made seven of 12 shots, scored on a layup after stealing the ball to narrow Cal Lutheran’s deficit to one point, but Jake Guadnola made a three-point shot and a short jumper to give Pomona-Pitzer a 55-49 lead with 4:58 left.

Mike Salser scored 11 points for the Kingsmen and Christian Dunbar had 10.

Guadnola, Brett Lange and Travis Greer each had 11 points for the Sagehens.