Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho (Jan. 9) -- Senior Jon Clift (Spokane/Joel E. Ferris HS) scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Central Washington University men's basketball team to an 85-81 road victory over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday afternoon at the Johnson Sports Center.

The win keeps the Wildcats' Great Northwest Athletic Conference record undefeated at 2-0, as Central improved to 8-4 overall with its fourth straight win and its sixth in the last seven games. Northwest Nazarene fell to 8-5 overall and 0-2 in the GNAC.

Clift, whose previous career-high of 20 points came earlier this season in a tournament game in Nampa, made 7 of 15 from the field including a pair of three-pointers. He also accounted for more than half (seven) of Central's 12 made free throws in the game, connecting on 7 of 9 at the stripe -- all in the second half.

The very closely-contested game saw 10 ties and 12 lead changes. Central scored the game's first five points and led for most of the first half, but a late three-pointer by the Crusaders' Anthony Golden gave NNU a 43-41 halftime advantage.

Neither team led by more than six in the contest, a margin that the Wildcats reached twice in the final six minutes. However, after their second six-point lead, Central saw Northwest Nazarene score six straight to force the game's 10th and final tie. Junior Toussaint Tyler (Kent/Kentwood HS) put Central in front for good by splitting a pair of free throws with 3:50 remaining, and his three-pointer on the next possession made it a four-point cushion. NNU made it a two-point differential three times before a three-pointer with 22 seconds left cut Central's lead to 82-81, and after Tyler went 1 of 2 at the line with 17 seconds remaining, the Crusaders had a chance to win the game with a three-pointer. That attempt by Drew Eisinger missed and the Wildcats' Riley Sivak (Ellensburg) secured the rebound, was fouled, and made two free throws with one second left to preserve the Wildcat victory.

Clift and Tyler helped carry the Wildcats offensively in the second half, scoring 16 and 10, respectively, in the period. Central shot 57.7 percent overall in the period (15 of 26) including 12 of 18 on two-point attempts, in outscoring the host Crusaders 44-38 in the final half.

Junior Chris Sprinker (Tacoma/Curtis HS) joined Clift and Tyler in double figures, finishing with 14 points and team-highs of seven rebounds and three blocked shots.

Northwest Nazarene had five players, including four of its starters, score in double figures. Golden had 18 points off the Crusader bench, while Eisinger added 16.

Central Washington will return home for three consecutive home games beginning with next Thursday's (Jan. 14) contest against the Alaska Nanooks. Tilts against Alaska Anchorage (Jan. 16) and Western Washington (Jan. 23) are also ahead on the Wildcats' longest home stand of the conference season.