SEATTLE, Wash. (Dec. 1) -- The Central Washington University men's basketball team (4-4, 0-2) fell to Seattle Pacific University (3-3, 1-1), 97-82, in their second Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest of the season.   
 
The Wildcats started out the scoring with a layup by Malik Montoya and took an early lead. It was the only lead that the Wildcats saw in the first half as the Seattle Pacific offense came out hot to start the game. A Jeryn Lucas lay-in was Central's only other bucket until a pair of Montoya free throws nearly four minutes later bringing the score to 12-6. Central was dominant on the offensive rebounds racking up six offensive boards in the first half.
 
SPU jumped out to a 9-15 lead after a free throw from Sharif Khan. Marcus Austin followed that up with a bucket to make the score 11-15. The Falcons went onto a 9-3 run to increase their lead to 23-13 with 10:05 to play in the first stanza. A Jackson Price three ended that run and jump started the Wildcat offense.  Central went into the locker room trailing 51-38.
 
The Wildcats came out of the half with a much more aggressive attitude and made a better effort at attacking the hoop on the offensive side of the ball. The Wildcats were able to cut the deficit to ten after six minutes of play in the second half, following a Lucas three from deep. Central clawed their way along, staying within reach of the Falcons.
 
The two teams went back and forth trading buckets, neither one pulling away. After ten minutes of play in the second half the Falcons held a 13-point lead, 70-63, after a Coleman Wooten three. Price answered back with a three of his own, cutting the deficit to ten with 9:10 left in regulation.
 
After a Gavin Long bucket that increased the Falcon lead to 75-63 and a Wildcat turnover, SPU was able to snag three offensive rebounds in a row before a Central foul brought a media timeout with 7:47 to play. Following the timeout, Seattle Pacific and the Crimson and Black traded a pair of free throws to push the score to 77-65. Lucas was able to sink another three pointer to pull within eleven.
 
Central battled in hopes of erasing the deficit, but the Falcons were able to hold their advantage.
 
"We didn't execute well enough defensively to beat a good team like SPU," CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta said afterward.  "Too many breakdowns that led to easy baskets. We have to continue to get better defensively. We put together a couple runs in the second half that got us on the brink of grabbing the momentum, but we weren't able to sustain it defensively either time."
 
The Wildcats had four players finish in double digit points.  Lucas (15) held the clubhouse lead, while Boykin (14), Montoya (13), and Price (11) all eclipsed the 10-point mark.  The Crimson and Black recorded 21 points off of turnovers, picked up 11 second chance points, and the reserves chipped in 40 points.
 
Central gets a break from GNAC play over the holiday season as their next three games are non-conference matchups. Their first contest will be in Boise, Idaho on Saturday December 8, as they take on Boise State University at 1:00 p.m.