LAIE, Hawaii (Nov. 21) — Central Washington University's men's basketball team had its brief, two-game, season-opening win streak snapped in the Wildcats first game at the 2014 GNAC/PacWest Challenge, falling to the host Seasiders of BYU-Hawaii Friday, 87-61, at the Cannon Activities Center.
The Wildcats led by six points, at 11-5, with 16:24 left in the first half. But BYUH went on a run to take its first lead, 18-17, just more than four minutes later. CWU regained the lead at 19-18, but that would be the Wildcats final lead of the game.
BYUH closed out the first half behind the shooting of guard Pablo Coro, who scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, including a flurry of seven straight points that gave the Seasiders their first double-digit lead, 39-27, with 3:09 left in the opening half.
"They're a big, physical team that shot the ball extremely well tonight," said CWU head coach
Greg Sparling. Overall, the Seasiders connected of 50 percent of their field goal attempts and 11-21, 52.4 percent, from three-point range.
Conversely, CWU hit on just 37.7 percent of its shots from the field and only made 4-23, 17.4 percent, three-point tries. BYUH also outrebounded CWU 29-21.
CWU did cut the halftime deficit to eight, 43-35. But BYUH went on a decisive 21-6 run to begin the second half.
"We did not start the second half the way we needed to," Sparling acknowledged. "And turnovers didn't help our cause either." On the night, CWU committed 20 turnovers, though the Wildcats did force BYUH into 21.
CWU was led by the 16 points of junior guard
Gary Jacobs. Junior forward
Joseph Stroud added seven points, a game-high nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
With the loss, CWU fell to 2-1 on the season. It was the opening game of the year for BYUH. Saturday, CWU will play its second game at this year's tournament, taking on Hawaii Pacific University, which lost to Seattle Pacific University, 61-49, in the first game of the night.
It will be the 15th meeting all-time between the Wildcats and Sharks. CWU has won nine of the previous matchups, but lost to HPU last year, 71-64, when Central hosted the GNAC/PacWest Challenge in Nicholson Pavilion. Tipoff Saturday is scheduled for 7 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time).
Following the tournament, the Wildcats will return home to take on Walla Walla University Saturday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.
