Box Score SEATTLE (Nov. 14) — The Central Washington University men's basketball team trailed just once, at 2-0, in a near wire-to-wire 65-52 win over the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) at the Seattle Pacific University Sodexo Tip-Off Classic. 

After the Golden Eagles scored the opening points, the Wildcats responded with a 19-4 flurry, and raced out to leads as big as 15, at 26-11, with 7:12 left in the first half. Minnesota Crookston would battle back to within 12 at halftime, 32-20. 

"They slowed it down and they took our transition baskets away from us," said CWU head coach Greg Sparling. "But I thought our guys adjusted well and, when we needed to make baskets, we did."

In the second half, the Golden Eagles cut CWU's lead to single digits, getting as close as seven at 44-37. But the Wildcats never allowed UMC to get closer than that, thanks to an aggressive CWU defense that caused 17 turnovers by the Golden Eagles.

"Defensively, our guys are playing with a lot of energy," Sparling said. "As this season goes on, and once we figure it out and use our athleticism to our advantage, good things are going to happen." 

Senior guard Jordan Russell came off the bench to lead the Wildcats with 17 points. Forward Joseph Stroud, a newcomer from Highline Community College, contributed 16 points, making all five of his field goal tries, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. 

"Coming off the bench, I felt that I had to be a real spark and help my team to win any way that I could," said Stroud. "It's about winning. That's really all that matters to me." 

For the game, Russell and Stroud led a CWU bench that scored 39 of the team's points in its season-opening victory.

Sparling added, "Obviously, you want to put more than 65 points on the board. In that first half alone we must have had a half-dozen shots go in-and-out. They're shots that are going to go in on a normal night. You can probably blame that on nerves."

Sparling says he wants to see his team take better care of the basketball, shoot a higher percentage from the free throw line and limit the opponent's second-chance opportunities on Saturday, when the Wildcats take on Academy of Art in CWU's second game at the Sodexo tournament. 

"I'm encouraged, I'm excited and I think we're taking steps forward," Sparling added.

Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.