Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Feb. 7) -- Four Central Washington University men's basketball players scored in double figures, and the Wildcats shot an even 50 percent from the field to defeat visiting Simon Fraser University, 86-70, on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Wildcats improved to 13-7 on the season with the victory, and are now 7-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference games. Simon Fraser fell to 6-14 overall and 1-11 in the conference.

Junior Mark McLaughlin (Bothell/Inglemoor HS) once again led CWU in scoring, totaling 15 of his game-high 21 points in the first half. He finished 8 for 16 from the floor and added eight rebounds, while juniors Nate Walker (Tacoma/Henry Foss HS) and Kevin Davis (Federal Way/Todd Beamer HS) sparked the Wildcats' inside game off the bench with 15 points apiece. Davis, who was 6 of 8 from the field, had a game-high nine rebounds and four blocked shots, while Walker (7 of 11 shooting) added six boards.

CWU led for most of the game, with a few exceptions -- especially early in the contest. A lay-up by Davis at the 10:54 mark in the opening period gave the Wildcats the lead at 16-15, and CWU did not trail again in the first half. Simon Fraser did tie the score at 22-22 with just under six minutes left before halftime, but the Wildcats responded with a 4-0 run and held a 39-34 edge at the break.

Simon Fraser kept the game close for the first 11 1/2 minutes of the second half, and actually regained the lead at 52-51 with 13:58 to go, but after the game's final tie two minutes later, the host Wildcats began to break away. CWU finished the game on a 25-11 run over the last 8:54, and held a double-digit lead for nearly 6 1/2 minutes during that closing span.

The Wildcats took control of the paint, outscoring the Clan by a 44-20 margin in the pain. CWU also held a commanding 45-30 edge in rebounding, with six of its players totaling five or more rebounds. Efficient shooting nights by Davis, Walker, and McLaughlin, as well as senior Derrick Davis (Tacoma/Clover Park HS; 4 of 6, 12 points) helped fuel the offensive attack.

SFU was led by the 18 points and seven rebounds of junior Taylor Dunn, who played at CWU during the 2010-11 season before transferring. Elijah Matthews added 13 points and Ibrahim Appiah scored 11 for the Clan.

CWU will now have a rematch with archrival and second-ranked Western Washington University (21-0, 12-0 GNAC) on Saturday night. The Wildcats lost to the Vikings on a last-second shot in Bellingham on Jan. 10, and will look to snap WWU's school-record 27-game winning streak when the two teams square off on Saturday (Feb. 9) at 7 p.m.