Men's Basketball Starts California Trip with 74-60 Loss at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

CLAREMONT, Calif. – After a 16-day layoff, Saints men's basketball returned to play, falling to Claremont Mudd Scripts, 74-60 on Thursday night in the first of two games in California for Emmanuel to finish up 2023.

The Saints drop to 4-7 on the season and 1-4 in December with one game remaining in the month. CMS improves to 5-4 and has won three straight after opening their campaign at 2-4.

The Stags took control of the first half with a 18-6 run spanning nearly 10 minutes that took the game from tied at 11-11 to CMS taking a 12-point lead. Graduate Josh Angle (Lake Oswego, Ore.) scored five points in the run while sophomore James Frye (Orinda, Calif.) chipped in four points in the 18-6 stretch.

Emmanuel closed the gap in the final 2:25 of the first, outscoring CMS 12-5 to finish the half, and trail 34-29. Sophomore Zaire Baines (Queens, N.Y.) scored 10 of the final 12 Saints points in the run, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and a four-point play with 37.1 seconds in the frame.

The Saints momentum carried into the second half as the visitors drew back to even in the opening 1:34 with senior Donte Pope (Middletown, Conn.) scoring the first six Emmanuel points, tying the game at 35-35.

Claremont Mudd Scripts answered right back, knocking down nine straight points in just 1:51, forcing an Emmanuel timeout with CMS leading 44-35. The Stags kept the Saints at a distance for much of the middle of the second half, until Emmanuel made their final push in the last 5:45.

The Saints trailed 56-50 when senior Bryant Ciccio (Attleboro, Mass.) made his impact felt, scoring eight points over a 2:09 span, helping Emmanuel draw to within one possession at 62-60 with 3:36 remaining.

Ciccio's final three-pointer with 3:36 to go would be the last points of the night for Emmanuel, as they were unable to seize full control coming down the stretch. The final dozen points favored the Stags while Emmanuel finished 0-for-7 in the scoreless streak, as CMS held on for a 74-60 win.

The Stags starters all scored in double-figures and played at least 30 minutes as CMS used just a seven-player rotation. First-year Will Householter (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, paired with five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Angle and graduate Rhett Carter (Sudbury, Mass.) each added 14 points in the win.

The Saints were led by Baines, who finished the night with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Pope ended with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting and a team-high eight rebounds. Senior Ryan Grijalva (Stratham, N.H.) chipped in with 11 points and five steals in 35 minutes.

Emmanuel finishes the 2023 portion of their schedule on Saturday, Dec. 30, facing Cal Tech at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The Stags continue a six-game homestand as they host Pacific Lutheran on Dec. 30 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.