CLAREMONT, Calif. - Will Housholter had 27 points as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's basketball team secured an 84-69 victory over Whittier  on Saturday at Roberts Pavilion.

CMS picks up its 20th victory of the season and moves to 20-2 overall and 11-2 in SCIAC play, while Whittier falls to 13-9 overall and 6-7 in league action. 

The game opened with a quick 3-pointer from Whittier's Brandon Andrews at the 19:45 mark, but Claremont-Mudd-Scripps responded with a layup by Cahal Connolly. Reid Jones then led a scoring surge for the home team, contributing to a 14-0 run that put them ahead 14-3.

CMS led by as many as 15 points early, but the Poets got the lead back down to six. However, the Stags ended the half strongly, with Householter making three free throws following a foul at the buzzer, giving them a 47-34 lead at the end of the first half.

CMS maintained a consistent lead throughout the second half. Jones had a steal at 6:01, leading to a fast-break dunk by Connolly to make it 76-55, giving the Stags their largest lead, before they settled for an 84-69 final margin. 

Householter converted 12 of 17 shots from the field on his way to 27 points. Connolly added 19 points, recording six rebounds and two steals, while Jones contributed 17 points and secured five rebounds while also providing three assists. Joey Kennedy had a strong all-around game with nine assists and 12 rebounds. 

CMS will be back in action on Wednesday when it travels to Occidental for a key road contest with just three games left in the regular season.