Box Score
LAIE, Hawaii (Nov. 16) -- Junior Dom Williams (University Place/Curtis HS) led five players in double figures as the Central Washington University men's basketball team edged past host Brigham Young University-Hawaii, 88-83, in the GNAC/PacWest Challenge on Friday night at the Cannon Activities Center.
The Wildcats, who improved to 2-1 overall on the season, earned their first-ever win over the Seasiders in Laie. CWU had won just one of its previous eight games all-time at the facility -- a neutral-site win over Hawaii Pacific University during the 2006-07 season -- and the Wildcats had been winless in five previous road contests all-time versus BYUH. The Seasiders fell to 0-2 on the season.
In a battle between two perennial Division II West Region playoff contenders, neither team ever really seized control on the scoreboard. BYU-Hawaii took a 10-point lead with just under six minutes remaining in the first half, to which CWU responded with a 10-0 scoring spurt to tie the game, but after the Seasiders regained the lead, the Wildcats'
CHRIS HOLMES (Seattle/Franklin HS) hit a three-pointer at the first-half buzzer to give the visitors a 39-37 edge at the intermission.
That trey by Holmes gave the Wildcats the momentum heading into the second half, and CWU forged ahead by as many as nine points and was in front until the 5:14 mark remaining in the game when BYU-Hawaii regained the lead. The Seasiders went in front by five with 4:35 left, but CWU closed the game on a 17-7 run -- sparked by a 12-0 burst over a span of 2:50 -- to steal the road victory.
The Wildcats won the turnover battle, forcing 24 Seasider turnovers while committing 20 of their own. CWU kept with BYUH in the rebounding department, finishing with just a 38-36 disadvantage, and the Wildcats won the contest despite a 49.3-percent shooting night from the Seasiders. The difference came at the free throw line, where CWU converted on 26 of 32 shots and outscored BYU-Hawaii by 14 points.
Individually, Williams had his best game as a Wildcat with the team-high 21 points. He made 7 of 12 shots, including 3 of 5 from three-point range. Junior
MARK MCLAUGHLIN (Bothell/Inglemoor HS) added 19 points and six rebounds, while fellow guards Holmes and senior
JORDAN COBY (Tacoma/Woodrow Wilson HS) scored 15 and 13 points, respectively. Senior
BRANDON MAGEE (Spanaway/Bethel HS) had 11 points and eight rebounds.
BYU-Hawaii was led by the 26-point, eight-rebound performance from 6-foot-10 center DeAndre Medlock, who made 12 of 15 field goal attempts. The Seasiders made just 5 of their 23 three-point tries in the contest (21.7 percent), with Taylor Maughan accounting for three of those makes. He and Bracken Funk scored 13 apiece for BYUH.
CWU will face Hawaii Pacific on Saturday night at 5 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (7 p.m. Pacific) before its return to the contiguous 48 states. The Wildcats' home opener is slated for Nov. 26 against Walla Walla University at Nicholson Pavilion.
