TACOMA, Washington – Freshman Liam Rutledge scored a season-high 17 points, but the Puget Sound men's basketball team lost to Claremont-M-S, 73-59, in the first day of the Doug McArthur Classic in Memorial Fieldhouse Friday night.
 
Rutledge shot 5-for-10 from the floor, and he hit three 3-pointers. Paul Johnson scored a team-high 19 points after shooting 7-for-16 from the floor, and Will Mathews added 10 points.
 
The Loggers (2-3) struggled to find their shot in the first half, and they trailed 21-7 through the first 14 minutes of the game. However, a Rutledge trey with five minutes left in the half sparked a Puget Sound run.
 
Following a defensive stop, Rutledge connected from deep again to make it a 21-13 game. He stayed hot and hit yet another 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the first half, cutting the deficit to 25-18.
 
Mathews banked in a 3-pointer as time expired in the first half, bring the Loggers to within 30-27.
 
In the second half, however, CMS shot 56-percent from the floor, and 50-percent from 3-point range.
 
The Loggers conclude the McArthur Classic against Redlands Saturday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m.