Box Score ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Cold shooting for Central Washington University's men's basketball team, coupled with prolific scoring from Seattle Pacific, led the Falcons to a 91-59 victory over the host Wildcats on Thursday.

The fifth-straight loss drops CWU to 11-14 on the year and 7-10 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The decision eliminates the Wildcats from playoff contention as they will finish out of the top six of the GNAC standings needed to qualify for the postseason conference tourney.

While Seattle Pacific grabbed an early 8-2 lead with two shots from behind the arc, Central Washington quickly erased that deficit. Both Marc Rogers and JOEY ROPPO (Monroe HS) hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to tie the game and KEVIN DAVIS (Todd Beamer HS) hit a short-range jumper to take over the lead, 10-8 at the 15:35 mark of the first half.

SPU would tie it up at 10 apiece a minute later, but MARK MCLAUGHLIN (Inglemoor HS) sank a jumper to reclaim the lead and JORDAN RUSSELL (Lincoln HS) hit CWU's third 3-pointer of the game to give the Wildcats what would be their largest lead of the game, a 15-10 advantage with 12:39 to play in the half.

Both teams would trade baskets and small leads for the next four minutes as neither team held a cushion of more than three points. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, CWU would go cold, while SPU got hot. Up by just one, 24-23, SPU then went on a 14-0 binge over the next 4:24 to turn a slim lead into a large advantage, 38-23 with 2:08 to play in the first half.

"Points off of turnovers, they had 17 points against us," Sparling said. "And it hurts that we're a good free throw shooting team, we get to the line 16 times and we hit only six of those shots, including missing the front ends of some 1-and-1's."

Central Washington would cut the disadvantage to 13 with Rodgers's first basket of the second half. Seattle Pacific, however, would keep the momentum going in the second half, quickly pushing its lead to 20 points and maintained the cushion for the remainder of the game.

McLaughlin led CWU with 16 points. He was one of three 'Cats in double figures as Russell had 13 and JB Pillard (Juanita HS) chipped in 11.

Patrick Simon led Seattle Pacific with 21 points. He was 5-of-7 from the 3-point line. As a squad, SPU shot 13-of-19 from the perimeter.

"It's frustrating," CWU head coach Greg Sparling said. "Wide open threes to a good player, you can't allow that. They're a good team, that's why they're nationally ranked."

The Wildcats wrap up their season with Senior Night this Saturday as CWU will recognize the four seniors – McLaughlin, Pillard, Davis and JEFF BUDINICH (Kentlake HS) – before tipoff, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.