Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho (Feb. 23) -- Junior Dominique Williams (Tacoma/Curtis HS) scored 14 points in 15 minutes off the bench, but the Central Washington University men's basketball team had its share of woes on both ends of the floor in a 100-69 loss to host Northwest Nazarene University on Saturday night at the Johnson Sports Center.

The loss was the fourth in a row for CWU, which fell to 13-11 overall and 7-9 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Wildcats remain in the driver's seat for the sixth and final berth in the GNAC postseason tournament, holding a two-game lead over seventh-place Northwest Nazarene (11-13, 5-11 GNAC) and Western Oregon (10-14, 5-11 GNAC). CWU hosts WOU on Thursday (Feb. 28) at 7:30 p.m. at Nicholson Pavilion.

Williams finished as the Wildcats' second-leading scorer on the night, making 5 of 9 shots overall including 3 of 6 from three-point range as the CWU bench outscored Northwest Nazarene's reserves by a 35-29 count. He, along with senior Trey Gross (Stockton, Calif./Edison HS) and junior Chris Holmes (Seattle/Franklin HS), were the only Wildcats to shoot 50 percent or better in the game. Gross scored a season-high 10 points on 3 of 6 shooting, while Holmes made 2 of 4 and totaled seven points.

CWU led just once -- following its first possession of the game -- and was facing a double-digit deficit very early in the contest. NNU went on a 19-7 run after that opening basket, and the Crusaders led 46-34 at halftime.

Northwest Nazarene, which finished the game at 58.3 percent (28 of 48) including 11 of 20 (55 percent) from three-point range, then opened the second half on a 17-0 run to extend the lead to almost 30 points. The margin reached 33 at the 12:31 mark, and the closest the Wildcats would get the rest of the way was an 81-59 score with 5:15 to go.

Junior Mark McLaughlin (Bothell/Inglemoor HS), the top scorer in the GNAC, finished with a team-high 15 points but was just 3 of 13 from the field as the Wildcats finished at just 35.5 percent (22 of 62) overall. Eight of McLaughlin's points came at the free throw line, where he attempted 10 and where CWU made 17 of 23 for the game.

NNU finished with a sizable advantage in rebounding, 42-24, and also converted on 33 of 39 free throws for 84.6 percent. The Crusaders had four players reach double figures in scoring, including two -- Kenny Jones (26) and Jonathan Hawkins (20) -- with 20 or more. Kevin Rima had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Jones also dished out a game-high seven assists and had four steals for the Crusaders.

CWU will close out its regular season next week with home games against Western Oregon and Saint Martin's University on Thursday and Saturday (Mar. 2), respectively. Both games will be the second game of a women's-men's doubleheader at Nicholson Pavilion. Thursday's contest will be Breast Cancer Awareness Night, while Saturday's finale will be Senior Night.