Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – In a back-and-forth game that was tied seven times and had 12 lead changes it was Pomona-Pitzer who survived at the end as it held off the Poets, 70-67, on Wednesday evening in SCIAC action.

Trailing by three with just four seconds remaining in regulation, Ricky Kamayatsu got off what would be the game-tying three-pointer but came up empty. The loss is the first in the conference for the purple and gold.

Whittier (6-7, 1-1 SCIAC) had more than just Kamayatsu's long ball opportunity to take the lead down the stretch. The Sagehens, whose overall record mimics the Poets', took a 68-67 lead on a Jake Klewer three-pointer with 1:29 left in the game. After a minute plus of defensive basketball by both squads it was Kamayatsu who attempted to put the Poets ahead with 10 seconds left. His missed three-pointer was rebounded by Greg Preer whose follow-up chance missed.

The Poets fouled to extended the game which resulted in a pair of freebies by Klewer and the eventual three-point defeat.

Preer led all scorers with 19 points on 8-of-21 shooting but was 0-for-6 from deep. He added four boards, three steals, two assists and a block in the loss.

Nathan Easterman played strong off the bench as he led all nonstarters with 18 points on an efficient 5-of-7 from the floor.

The largest lead of the game came in the first half and saw the Poets hold a 10-point advantage with 4:25 left before the intermission. The Sagehens went on a 5-0 run over the final four and a half minutes to close out the half. Whittier led 30-25 at the break.

Kamayatsu finished with 11 points and was 3-of-11 from long range to round out the double digit scoring for WC. Damon Perry pulled down a team-high seven rebounds while Easterman and Tyree Landrum had five boards apiece.

The Poets will try and get back in the win column on Saturday evening as they host Claremont-M-S at 7 pm.