LA VERNE, CA - James Christian and Higgy Katoa combined for 43 points, but it was not enough as the University of La Verne men's basketball team was defeated by the visiting Occidental Tigers on Saturday afternoon, 83-77.
 
After dropping 24 against Redlands, Christian followed it up with a 22-point outing, adding three assists, two rebounds, and a block. Katoa was close behind with 21 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block, while Kason White and Jackson Gray each scored eight points.
 
In another tight game, La Verne held a slim, one-point 46-45 lead at the break and pushed their advantage to seven early in the second half. A reverse layup by Christian, set up by Isaiah Bennett, kept the Leopards up by five with 12 minutes to play, but the Tigers clawed back slowly and tied the game on an Alex McCleery free throw. Occidental then outpaced La Verne 38-31 in the second half to pull away for the win.
 
La Verne will travel to Thousand Oaks to continue conference play against the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen this Wednesday at 7 p.m.