Box Score LA VERNE, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team used a 20-2 run to start the game and a career-high 28 points from
Renee Chong as it captured a 67-58 road win over La Verne on Saturday afternoon at the La Verne Sports Pavilion.
With the win, CMS moves to 4-5 on the year and levels its record in the SCIAC to 1-1. La Verne slips to 2-7 on the year and 0-3 in the SCIAC with the loss. Chong, who missed the last CMS game with an injury (a two-point defeat to Whittier on Saturday), returned and passed her previous career high of 27 points, set against Illinois Wesleyan as a first-year in 2022-23.
CMS was up 4-2 early and then went on a 16-0 run to establish a double-digit lead.
Katie Resendiz had the first six points during the run, Chong scored the next seven, and
Kayla Ishibashi capped it off with a three-pointer to make the score 20-2.
The Leopards got within 20-6 at the end of the first quarter, but the Athenas allowed only five points in the second quarter as they built a commanding 34-11 lead at the break, with Chong capping off the half with the last two baskets.
Ruva Kiara opened the CMS scoring in the second half with a three-pointer to give the Athenas their largest lead at 37-13. La Verne answered back with a 15-0 run to put some pressure on CMS, closing to within 37-28, but Chong stepped up with a timely three-pointer,
Amanda Kerner followed with two, and Chong had a three-point play to get the lead back up to 49-30.
Kiara added five points in the final minute of the quarter to help CMS take a 54-35 lead into the fourth. La Verne used a late 13-1 run to get the lead down to seven before Resendiz hit two foul shots to seal it.
Resendiz finished with 12 points and Kiara added 11 for the Athenas, who held La Verne to 0-11 shooting from three in the first half, one game after holding Whittier to 1-17 beyond the arc. The Leoards ended up 8-28 on threes for the game after making seven in the second half, but it was too little too late.
CMS will be back in action after the holiday break when it takes on Wheaton (Mass.) on Dec. 30 for a 1 p.m. contest at Roberts Pavilion.
