Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho (Nov. 27) -- Central Washington University senior Chris Sprinker (Tacoma/Curtis HS) led all scorers with 19 points, helping the Wildcat men's basketball team improve to 4-0 with an 83-72 victory over Sonoma State University on Saturday afternoon at the Crusaders Thanksgiving Classic at the Johnson Sports Center.

“This was a great weekend, and has been a great start for us,” said CWU head coach Greg Sparling. “I am very encouraged by the unselfishness of our team thus far.”

Sprinker scored 12 of his 19 points in the second half and added four rebounds and a game-high three blocks.

“He dominated down here,” Sparling said of his 6-foot-9 senior center. “No one had an answer for him this weekend.”

Sprinker was one of four Wildcats to score in double figures. Fellow senior Jamar Berry (Tacoma/Franklin Pierce HS) scored 15 points and was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line, while seniors Humberto Perez (Yakima/A.C. Davis HS) and Coby Gibler (Bainbridge Island/Bainbridge HS) added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early 8-0 lead with Sprinker scoring the first six points of the game. And although the Wildcats only connected on one of seven first-half three-point attempts, they still shot 51.7 percent from the field and 81.3 percent (13 of 16) from the free throw line in the opening stanza to take a 12-point halftime lead. Meanwhile, the Central defense held the Seawolves to just 37 percent shooting in the first half and forced nine turnovers.

CWU would continue to torch the nets in the second half, making 12 of their 18 shots in the final period including three of six shots from three-point range. Central built a 17-point lead with just 32 seconds left in the contest, but the Seawolves knocked down three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to narrow the final margin to eleven.

Central had four players share team-leading honors with five rebounds each, and as a team, the Wildcats were outrebounded (32-30) for the first time this season. CWU also benefited from good free throw shooting throughout the contest, making 25 of 35 shots from the charity stripe.

The Seawolves also had four players score in double figures, and were led by Will Olsem, who scored 15 points and made four of six three-pointers.

Central Washington will take its undefeated record into Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, where it will open with Western Oregon on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.