Box Score Despite shooting better than 52 percent for the game, and getting a career-high 43 points from senior guard MARK MCLAUGHLIN (Bothell HS) the Central Washington University's men's basketball team fell to archrival Western Washington 99-94 in front of 1,811 fans at Nicholson Pavilion Thursday night.

The loss drops CWU to 4-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play and 8-8 on the season.

While the Wildcats led by as much as eight points late in the first half, the Vikings chipped away at the disadvantage to make it a two-point game at halftime in CWU's favor, 42-40. Coming into the second half, WWU immediately went on a 9-0 run to open the second stanza to turn the tables, 49-42 in WWU's favor.

The Vikings would never relinquish the lead.

While CWU managed to keep it within a couple of scores, the Vikings – who shot 57 percent in the second half – were able to squash any CWU run with a defensive stop or a couple of buckets on their own.

Down by 10, 66-56 with 11:45 to play, McLaughlin drained a 3-pointer and on the next possession KEVIN DAVIS (Beamer HS) converted an offensive rebound for another bucket to cut the deficit to five with 10:34 left. After WWU pushed the cushion to eight, JALEN PEAKE (West Valley, Yakima HS) hit another perimeter shot for CWU to cut the lead to five, 69-64. Later, JB Pillard (Juanita HS) and Davis would hit two straight shots in the paint to cut the disadvantage to three, 73-70.

McLaughlin would drain four more free throws less than a minute later to get within one, 73-72 and later 75-74, but the Vikings would quickly extend their lead to 10 after another 9-0 run.

CWU opened the game quite well, quickly building a 9-3 start and holding a one- to three-possession advantage over the Vikings for most of the first half.

McLaughlin – who came into the game ranked second in the nation with a 26.4 points per game scoring average – led all scorers with a career-high 43 points on 14-of-22 shooting. Coming into the game, the senior had made 32 straight free throws and added another 10 in a row before missing his first one late in the game on Thursday. The 42 straight successful free throws is a school record.

Pillard earned his fourth-straight double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Davis also added another double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.  JORDAN RUSSELL (Lincoln HS) added 13 for the Wildcats.

Richard Woodworth led Western Washington (6-2 GNAC, 12-4 overall) with 28 points.

The Wildcats stay at home this weekend. CWU hosts Simon Fraser at 7:30 Saturday night, which is the nightcap of a basketball doubleheader at Nicholson Pavilion. The Wildcat women's team opens with Northwest Nazarene at 5:15 p.m.