Box Score
ELLENSBURG (Nov. 5) -- Senior
Chris Sprinker (Tacoma/Curtis HS) had 27 points and eight rebounds to lead the Central Washington University men's basketball team to a 98-73 exhibition victory over Another Level Blue Angels Friday night in Nicholson Pavilion.
Sprinker made 11 of his 14 shots attempts including an array of thunderous dunks. Fellow senior
Jamar Berry (Tacoma/Franklin Pierce HS) and junior
Jody Johnson (Seattle/Franklin HS) also contributed to the 25-point win, as Berry scored 16 points with nine rebounds while Johnson had a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards.
Senior guards
Chris Scott (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza HS) and
Drew Harris (Yakima/Eisenhower HS) combined for 21 points, 12 assists and eight steals.
The Wildcats led 47-35 at halftime due in large part to a 22-0 run midway through the first half. At the 13:04 mark, Central trailed by a score of 16-15, then a free throw by Johnson sparked the 22-point barrage, which Sprinker capped with a dunk and jump shot on consecutive possessions. The Blue Angels ended the half on a run of their own, outscoring the Wildcats 8-0 in the final 1:37 to make it a 12-point margin at the break.
CWU turned up the heat defensively in the second half, forcing 17 turnovers after the intermission, of which 11 came on Wildcat steals. Central took advantage of those second-half miscues, converting them into 25 points, and at one point built a 27-point edge.
Central also benefited from hot three-point shooting. As a team, Central converted 10 of 22 treys in the game, making five in each half. Berry and Scott both sank three shots from behind the arc, and Harris added two of his own.
The Blue Angels were led by former CWU standouts Matt Penoncello and Jake Beitinger, who scored 16 and 14, respectively. Eight of the 10 players on the Blue Angels roster Friday played collegiately for the Wildcats.
Central Washington plays its exhibition finale this Tuesday, Nov. 9, against Washington Athletic Club at 7 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion. The Wildcats will then open their 26-game regular-season schedule on Nov. 13 against Quest University Canada.
