After the crowd dissipated and the angry Claremont-Mudd fans took their leave, all that remained were glowing Pomona-Pitzer enthusiasts watching as Coach Katsificas’ Sagehens (18-6, 12-2) snipped the net off the rim. It was Coach Kat’s fourth straight season winning SCIAC, and possibly the sweetest one, after a nail-biting 61-60 victory over the resilient Stags (16-9, 10-4).

The stage was set for the game of the season. The top two teams in SCIAC were competing for an automatic NCAA Division III playoff berth and possession of the Conference basketball championship. A title bout of the greatest proportions: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman, the Blue Jays v. the Raptors (in chess), the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens vs. the Claremont-Mudd Stags. And none of the 2,500 fans left Voelkel Gymnasium disappointed with the hard-fought competition.

Joseph Koch Jeremiah Martin PI ’01 was crucial in the Sagehens’ 61-60 victory over CMS. In addition to scoring the game winning bucket, Martin scored 33 points and added 10 boards for a double-double.

It was a classic championship match-up, the outcome hanging in the balance up until the final moments of the game. With forty seconds left in the game, and down 60-59, Pomona-Pitzer’s Jeremiah Martin ’01 caught the ball in the paint and delivered the knockout punch to all Stag hopefuls with a graceful jump hook to put the Hens up for good. In another remarkable outing, Martin finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds in what he called "an incredible way to end the season."

The lead was back and forth all game, with both teams leading by as much as seven points. Claremont came out shooting very well with 6’9" Hans Meyer scoring at will in the early game. He finished the game with 17 points and eight rebounds. Pomona-Pitzer held on, though, not once easing up on defense and always primed for their opportunity to make a run.

At the end of the first period the Stags had a 2-point edge over the Hens at 32-30, both teams still poised and energetic. But as the second-half wore on the Stags began to pull away, leading 59-52 with four minutes left in the game. Sure enough, however, Mr. Momentum changed jerseys once again and this time for good. The Hens took advantage of some sloppy CMS passing with excellent team defense and went on a 7-1 run to win the game. This included five points from Martin, who also was a menace on the defensive end of the court.

Joseph Koch Tad DeWald ’01 headed for the hoop scored 10 points against the Stags.

All game the capacity crowd responded to the events on the court with intensity. At one point the mascots, a Sagehen and what appeared to be a human-headed Stag, had to be separated after nearly fighting at mid-court in front of the bleachers. After the game, although visibly shaken, CMS Coach Ken Scalmanini said, "I thought we played extremely well. I don’t feel we lost it. They beat us."

Adding to that effort were a number of solid performances from the Sagehens. Tad DeWald ’01 scored 10 points and Jason Howie ’01 came off the bench and added the extra energy that the Hens needed to pull off the win. Also, in his final game at Volkel Gym, lone senior Jeff Herzog had a great defensive outing, helping to contain the Stags potent back-court, but fouled out late in the game. Herzog is the only Sagehen in modern years to win the conference title all four years with the team.

With this victory the Sagehens will travel to San Antonio Texas to take on Trinity University (23-2) in the first round of the 48-team Division III tournament. In their third game of the season the Hens lost to Trinity 59-62. The winner of that match will play McMurry University (25-1) of Abilene, Texas. This will be the Hens’ 6th appearance in the tournament in 7 years.