BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team travelled to conference leading Western Washington University Saturday evening, and despite a strong shooting performance from CWU, the Wildcats lost to the host Vikings by a score of 89-100.
 
The Wildcats fall to 12-4 on the season and 7-3 in the GNAC, while the Vikings improve to 15-3, 9-1 in conference.
 
"Our guys competed on both sides of the ball, I couldn't be more proud of our effort," CWU Head Coach Greg Sparling said.  "Obviously, we wanted to win, and the final portion of the game is not the way we wanted to finish, but these guys gave us everything they had tonight and that is what we ask them to do every night."
 
Central battled back from a seven-point deficit in the second half as the two teams flip-flopped leads before the Vikings went on a 20-9 run to finish out the game, claiming the 11-point victory.
 
Dom Hunter led all scorers with 30 points for the Wildcats, making 12 of 22 from the field.  Jawan Stepney filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.  Fuquan Niles added 16 points and nine rebounds, missing just one of his eight shot attempts in the game.
 
"All three of those guys played well," Sparling said of Niles, Stepney and Hunter.  "Fuquan got us some good boards and was a force down low.  Jawan did everything for us tonight, he scored, was a pest defensively and elevated our transition. And Dom was clutch as always, he knows how to draw fouls and got us much needed baskets in both halves."  
 
As a team, the Wildcats shot 48.6 percent from the field, and 40 percent (8 of 20) from three-point territory.  Central was zoned in from the free throw line, making 13 of 14 and turned the ball over just seven times.
 
The Vikings were hot from the field from start to finish, posting a 57.6 shooting percentage and made 10 of 19 from long range.  The Vikings were also dialed in from the charity stripe making 22 of 24.
 
In the first half, the Wildcats shot 45 percent from the field, and did not commit a single turnover.  Western Washington shot 60 percent from the field, 66.7 percent (6 of 9) from long range.  Both teams were perfect from the free throw line, with CWU making 5 of 5, and the Vikings 4 of 4.
 
Down 44-46 to start the second half, the Wildcats kept pace with the hot shooting Vikings, staying within one or two points.  The Wildcats first second-half lead came on a three pointer by Marc Rodgers with 15:12 to go.  The lead changed six times over the next five minutes of play before the Vikings hit a three with 9:46 remaining to take a three-point advantage.
 
Western pushed its lead to seven with six to go, and a 7-0 run by the Wildcats brought the game back into striking distance for CWU.  However, the Wildcats did not record a made field goal in the final 5:10 in the game, which led to the 89-100 outcome.
 
Taylor Stafford led WWU in scoring with 29, and Jeffery Parker added 27, making 9 of 15 from the field and 5 of 9 from three.  The Vikings also held a +8-rebounding margin over the Wildcats.
 
"Both of those guys are good player and all conference guys,"  Sparling said of Stafford and Parker.  "They made big shots when they needed it, and are difference makers for their team."
 
The Wildcats will return home to the friendly confines of Nicholson Pavilion for a pair of games against Concordia University and Western Oregon University on Jan. 26 and Jan. 28, respectively.