Box Score
ELLENSBURG, WA - Central Washington University's men's basketball team started Saturday night hot, but couldn't hold on for the victory in the 85-76 loss to the University of Alaska.

The loss drops CWU to 11-11 on the season and 7-7 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. UA improves to 15-8 and 10-5 in conference play. CWU is tied for fifth with Western Oregon in the GNAC standings.

CWU opened the game at an incredible pace, hitting seven of its first 10 shots from the field in the first six minutes of the game. Down 5-3 with less than two minutes off the clock, CWU then went on an 11-0 run, thanks in large part to the big men, JB Pillard (Juanita HS), KEVIN DAVIS (Todd Beamer HS) and MARK MCLAUGHLIN (Inglemoor HS) who scored nine of the 11 points during the streak.

Alaska would sink a layup to stop the run, but the Wildcats responded with authority as MARC RODGERS and JULIAN VAUGHN (Curtis HS) added another six points to push Central Washington's cushion to 16, 23-7. The Wildcats continued to add to the lead with JORDAN RUSSELL (Lincoln HS) scoring seven straight points for the 'Cats, extending the advantage to 19, 32-13.

The lead would grow to 26 with 4:24 left in the half before the Nanooks chipped away at the deficit to go into halftime down by 12, 43-31.

The Wildcats maintained a healthy double-digit advantage for a handful of minutes in the second half, still up by 10 (55-45) with 13:37 to play in the game. Despite watching the lead dwindle to single digits, the Wildcats still held the lead at 65-62 with 7:48 to play.

Alaska would tie the contest at 65 apiece 25 seconds later and take a lead before the Wildcats tied it again after Pillard's short jumper with 6:39 to play. UA again reclaimed the lead on its next time up the floor, but Russell stole Alaska's next possession and laid it in for the fourth tie of the game at 69 apiece. The Nanooks would extend the lead to four, and CWU would answer back, getting to within one, 74-73 with 3:24 to play, but that was as close as the Wildcats would get for the rest of the game.

Pillard led CWU with 19 points and a team-high eight rebounds. He was one of four Wildcats in double figures, including Russell (18 points), Davis (12) and McLaughlin (11).

CWU is back on the road for two games next week, taking on Simon Fraser on Thursday in Burnaby, B.C., and archrival Western Washington on Saturday in Bellingham. Saturday's contest is the game of the week on ROOT Sports.