Spokane, Wash. (Nov. 1) – The Central Washington University men's basketball team fell to the nationally ranked No. 3 Gonzaga University Bulldogs, 108-69, in an exhibition.
 
Gonzaga jumped out to an 8-0 run to start the game. Senior newcomer Jackson Price helped lead the way offensively along with Nygil Carr, who had seven and four points in the first half respectively. Zellie Hudson reeled in six rebounds in the first half, two of which came on offense.  Going into the break, the Wildcats trailed 49-23.  
 
"Our first game nerves were evident at the start of the game," CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta said afterward.  "They have one of the best front lines in the country and that was evident in the first couple minutes.  I give our guys a lot of credit for settling down and finding a better rhythm as the game went on.  Our ball movement and decisions were much better offensively in the second half.  Unfortunately, we couldn't keep them off the free throw line."
 
Coming out of the half, the Wildcats fared much better from behind the three-point line going 4-for-6 in the first six minutes.  The Crimson and Black shot 43.2% from the field in the second stanza, as well as 43.8% from behind the three-point line. The Wildcats worked hard on the boards collecting 15 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds.
 
Matt Poquette led Central's offense in the second half with nine points, hitting 75 percent of his shots in the second 20 minutes.  He also collected three rebounds.  Poquette finished with 11 points and was 4-for-6 from the field.
 
Rui Hachimura lead the way for the Bulldogs with 23 points in 20 minutes of play time.
 
Gonzaga outscored Central 20-11 off of turnovers and 50-32 in the paint.  The Wildcats' bench, however, outplayed their Bulldog counterparts.  The Crimson and Black received 37 points from its bench, while the Zags managed just 31 points from their reserves. 
 
Price finished with 12 points and shot 50 percent from the field, including going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.  Jeryn Lucas also finished with double digit points, scoring 10 and adding in three rebounds.
 
"There are some things we can take away from this game and learn from," Rinta added.  "My hope is that shows on Saturday."
 
The Wildcats take on George Fox University on Saturday (Nov. 3) in the Crimson and Black's second exhibition.  Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.