Poor Free-Throw Shooting Costs Cal Lutheran, 67-56

An inability to make free throws throughout the game and an inability to hang on to the ball down the stretch proved costly for the Cal Lutheran men’s basketball team in a second-round game of the NCAA Division III playoffs at La Verne on Saturday night.

The Kingsmen lost, 67-56, after taking a 47-45 lead with 6 minutes 17 seconds left when Jared Byrne hit one of two free throws.

Cal Lutheran (20-7), which made only 12 of 26 free throws, scored on one of its next eight possessions as La Verne went on a 15-2 run to take a 60-49 lead with 2:57 remaining.

Michael Wollangk and Aaron Courseault each scored six points for La Verne during its surge.

Cal Lutheran committed four turnovers during that stretch, and La Verne converted three into baskets.

The Kingsmen trailed, 27-20, at halftime but Coach Mike Dunlap felt fortunate to be down by seven.

“I knew we were going to score some points in the second half,” Dunlap said. “I wasn’t worried about that. But when we got the lead, we just couldn’t sustain it.”

This game was similar to the previous one between these teams a week earlier, which had decided which of the two would enter the Division III playoffs as the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s automatic qualifier.

La Verne (20-7) defeated Cal Lutheran, 83-79, in that game after the Kingsmen had taken a 62-58 lead with 6:22 left.

“We just weren’t going to let them come in here and take it away from us tonight,” said Courseault, who scored 15 points. “That’s what we kept telling each other.”

Wollangk played particularly well for La Verne, which will meet Augustana (Ill.) in a third-round game Saturday at a site to be determined. The 6-foot-3 sophomore scored a game-high 19 points, making six of nine shots from the field. He also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Damon Ridley led Cal Lutheran with 13 points, all in the second half. Rupert Sapwell had 12 points and four steals for the Kingsmen and Dave Ulloa added 10 points and seven steals.

Trailing, 35-34, with 11:53 left, Cal Lutheran scored on four consecutive possessions to take a 42-37 lead with 10:22.

Sapwell worked inside for three baskets during the run, and Kelly Crosby added an 18-foot jump shot.