Box Score

BELLINGHAM (Jan. 18) -- Sophomore guard Lacy Haddock (Las Vegas, Nev./Sierra Vista HS) scored a team-high 20 points, and three of his teammates added 16 points apiece in Central Washington University's 99-86 men's basketball loss to 22nd-ranked Western Washington University on Wednesday night at Carver Gym.

Central evened its overall record to 8-8 and fell to 2-6 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Western now stands at 16-3 overall and 7-1 in the GNAC.

Western jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead just under two minutes into the contest. Central pulled to within three points (8-11), but the Vikings made 9 of their first 13 shots to take a 21-12 lead at the 11:45 mark in the first half. Consecutive three-pointers by juniors Jordan Coby (Tacoma/Wilson HS) and Brandon Magee (Spanaway/Bethel HS) sparked a 10-0 run by the Wildcats as they pulled to within one at 23-22 with just under nine minutes left in the half, but Western Washington continued its hot first-half shooting (56.7 percent) and took a 41-35 advantage into halftime.

The Wildcat offense was more efficient in the second half, but the Viking offense continued to excel, building a 15-point lead with 4:30 left in regulation. Western Washington guard John Allen finished with a game-high 32 points, including 16 of the Vikings' final 29 tallies, to lead WWU to the 99-86 victory.

Western shot 56.3 percent (36 of 64) on the evening, the second-highest shooting mark by a CWU opponent this season. The Vikings were also 7 of 15 from three-point territory but shot just 58.8 percent (20 of 34) from the free throw line. Central shot just below its season average of 45.7 percent, posting a 42.7 percent mark (32 of 75) from the field, but connected on just four of its 16 three-point attempts. 

The Wildcats had a 42-37 rebounding advantage, including 19-12 on offensive rebounds, but the Vikings used a quick transition offense to outscore Central 20-6 in fast break points.

Haddock logged 35 minutes of action and missed just four of his 12 field-goal attempts on the evening. Coby, senior Toussaint Tyler (Kent/Kentwood HS), and sophomore Kevin Davis (Federal Way/Todd Beamer HS) all added 16 points on the evening, with Davis picking up a double-double with 13 rebounds. Also hauling down 13 rebounds was senior Roby Clyde (Connell/Pasco HS), which was a season-high, to go along with his nine points.

Central was unable to stop Allen, who missed only two shots in the game en route to his highest point total of the season. Western had five different players score in double figures.

Central returns to action this Saturday (Jan. 21) at 7 p.m., as they travel to Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada to play Simon Fraser University.