Box Score LACEY, Wash. (Feb.8) -- Central Washington University senior MARK MCLAUGHLIN (Inglemoor) scored a game-high of 27 to lead the men's basketball team to a 77-73 over Saint Martins University Saturday evening at Marcus Pavilion.

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 11-9 on season, 7-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Consequently, Saint Martins falls to 8-13, 5-8 in the GNAC.
 
McLaughlin scored more then half of his points at the free throw line, going 14 of 17 from the charity stripe. He was 6 of 15 from the field, with three assists and six rebounds. 

The Central Washington University held a 37-32 lead over the Saints going into halftime. The five-point halftime lead was the largest of the half for the Wildcats who were led by Marc McLaughlin, who scored 14 points in the opening stanza.

The game stayed close in the second-half, where the Wildcats got a boost from sophomore JORDAN RUSSELL (Lincoln HS), who came off the bench to score nine of his season-high 17 points.  The Wildcats sealed the vicotry by sinking six free throws in the final 39 seconds of the contest to ensure the 77-73 win.

KEVIN DAVIS (Todd Beamer HS) scored a total of 10 points and recorded two steals and three blocks, moving him into second on the all-time career blocks list at Central Washington University with 130.
 
The CWU men were able to come out ahead over the Saints, with a 40.4 percent field goal average for the game. The Wildcats were proficient from the free throw line, converting on 26 of the 33 attempts, with the their largest lead reaching 10.  
 
The Saints got their majority of points from Evan Coulter and Ryan Rodgers, who scored 26 and 25 points respectively.

Up next, the Wildcats will face Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks next Thursday and Saturday at Nicholson Pavilion.