Cal Lutheran Again Comes Up Too Short at the Buzzer, 60-58

Cal Lutheran forward Pat Gibbs tried a 20-foot jump shot from the corner with six seconds left in the game, but his attempt--and his team--came up short as the Kingsmen lost to Cal State Stanislaus, 60-58, Saturday night at Cal Lutheran.

For the second night in a row, the Kingsmen had the ball for the final possession, but failed to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Friday night, the Kingsmen missed a last-second layup in an 83-81 loss to Christ College Irvine.

Saturday night, the missed shot was a 20-footer, but the result was the same for the Kingsmen (2-8).

“We played a good game all the way through,” Cal Lutheran Coach Ed Anderson said. “But, we still aren’t making the big play when we need it.”

Stanislaus guard Darrell Simmons provided the biggest play of the game when he hit an 18-foot jump shot with 25 seconds left to break a 58-58 tie.

Cal Lutheran had three shots at pulling even during the ensuing possession, but Steve Delaveaga missed twice and Gibbs once, before Warriors’ forward John Garrett grabbed the rebound.

Garrett, who scored 15 points in the game, was called for a violation when he came down with the rebound with his elbows flailing. The ball was awarded out-of-bounds to the Kingsmen.

When Gibbs’ shot missed, Stanislaus center Sean Mills got the rebound and dribbled out the clock.

The Kingsmen, who have now lost seven consecutive games, will have to wait until next year to see if their luck changes. Their next game is Jan. 3 at Cal State Bakersfield.

“I’m going to tell them to forget about what happened in the preseason and start over again,” Anderson said. “We’re starting out the new year 0-0.”

At least one thing is certain to be different about the Kingsmen after the first of the year. Instead of representing Cal Lutheran College, the team will officially be from Cal Lutheran University .

Stanislaus took a 35-32 halftime lead behind the play of junior forward Ebon Knox, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half.

Stanislaus led, 21-14, with 10:31 left in the first half and the Kingsmen appeared to be on the verge of one of the short periods of collapse that have hurt them all season.

But Cal Lutheran, paced by Delaveaga, battled back to within one.

Delaveaga, who had suffered a cut above his left eye earlier in the game, hit three straight shots to pull the Kingsmen to within one, at 25-24, with five minutes left in the half.