Box Score

BELLINGHAM (Mar. 12) -- Central Washington University overcame a 15-point halftime deficit, leading briefly in the second half, but the Wildcat men's basketball team was unable to hang onto its brief lead in falling, 84-70, to top-seeded Western Washington in the 2010 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship First Round on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The Wildcats finished the 2009-10 season with a 16-11 overall record, while Western Washington, ranked 15th nationally, advances to the regional semifinal against Cal Poly Pomona.

"We started too slow and dug ourselves a big hole early," said CWU head coach Greg Sparling. "I was happy with the way we came roaring back in the second half. We went to a four- and five-guard look, and I think that caused some problems (for Western), and I was very proud of how we rallied back in the second half."

Central's slow start saw a 28-8 deficit with 8:29 to go, and was a result of a poor-shooting first half in which the Wildcats made just 22.9 percent (8 of 35) and trailed by at least 15 points for the final 9:47 of the opening period. Western Washington, meanwhile, shot 60 percent in the first half and led 38-23 at the break.

The Wildcats were unable to whittle the deficit down to single digits until just under 11 minutes remained, when a three-pointer by junior Toussaint Tyler (Kent/Kentwood HS) made it a 55-47 score. After Western took the lead back to 10, Central went on a 12-0 run to take its first lead since the opening basket of the game, but after the 59-57 margin, Western Washington scored seven straight points, including five in a row by Morris Anderson, and never trailed again.

Central doubled its first-half scoring output in the final period, totaling 47 points after the intermission. However, the Wildcats shot just 37.1 percent in the second half and finished at a season-low 30.0 percent -- the lowest efficiency from the field in more than six years.

Individually, Tyler scored 18 points off the bench, while three starters -- Jon Clift (Spokane/Joel E. Ferris HS), JC Cook (Canby, Ore.), and Riley Sivak (Ellensburg) -- also scored in double digits with 14, 11, and 10, respectively. Cook, the Wildcats' leading scorer on the season but who missed his first nine shot attempts on Friday and finished 3 of 14, led the Wildcats with eight rebounds.

Anderson led all players with 23 points for Western Washington, while Derrick Webb had a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds. Andrew Ready added 13 points and Rory Blanche scored 10 in a winning effort for the Vikings.

Central Washington loses three seniors -- Clift, Sivak, and Noble'D Shelton (Auburn) -- to graduation from a team that earned its fourth NCAA Division II postseason berth in the past five years.