AIA Buries Cal Lutheran, 110-76

Athletes in Action came into Saturday night’s game at Cal Lutheran with a 21-6 record.

AIA, traditionally one of the top amateur teams in the world, is winding down a season that has included wins over Nevada Las Vegas, Illinois and Alabama-Birmingham and losses to teams such as Louisville and Memphis State.

Cal Lutheran can be happy that the game was billed as an exhibition because it certainly was no contest. AIA built a 25-point halftime lead and went on to an easy win, 110-76.

“They seemed like really great guys,” Cal Lutheran’s Steve Cotner said. “They smile at you all the way down the court while they’re scoring on breakaway layups.”

Cotner was kidding. No one likes to lose, but losing to AIA is a lot more bearable then losing to West Coast Christian.

The AIA roster includes four members who have played in the National Basketball Association. Five players are taller than 6-8, including seven-foot center Gib Hinz.

“We played as good a defense as we could against them,” Cal Lutheran Coach Ed Anderson said. “I just told my guys to go out and learn something from them.”

And the Kingsmen did.

“I learned humility,” said Cotner, who at 6-7 plays center for the Kingsmen. “I also found out that a guy 6-7 isn’t going to shoot over someone seven feet tall.”

AIA, had no trouble with the smaller Kingsmen, shot 78% in the first half. Much of the arsenal came on long-range jumpers by guards Lorenzo Romar and Keith Cieplicki.

Romar, who has played for the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks, scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half.

Cieplicki, who totaled 18, was 7 for 7 from the field in the first half--mostly 25-foot baseline jumpers.

But, the biggest factor for AIA was Hinz, who had a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The one highlight for Cal Lutheran came when forward Lionel Boyce drove the lane and slam-dunked over Hinz in the second half.

The loss didn’t seem to bother the Kingsmen, who appeared to still be savoring Friday night’s win over the Master’s College, which snapped a 13-game losing streak.

“That game was do-or-die for us,” Cotner said. “If we don’t beat the Master’s or some of the other teams like that in our league, we won’t make the playoffs.”

Don’t laugh. The way the NAIA District III is constructed, the Kingsmen (3-14, 1-3) still have a chance to be one of the eight teams that qualifies for the conference’s postseason tournament.

Cal Lutheran guard Darren Ranck was the leading scorer for the Kingsmen with 14. Cotner and Boyce each scored 12 and forward Pat Gibbs had 10.