NAMPA, Idaho – The Central Washington University men's basketball team picked up win No. 2 of the season Friday night with an 83-72 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville on day one of the Fairfield Inn Tournament hosted by Northwest Nazarene. The win pushed the Wildcats record to 2-1 for the season.
 
The Wildcats got off to a slow start in the game and found themselves down by 12 in the first six minutes of play but a late surge of offense helped CWU take a slim two-point lead into halftime and a surge of playmaking in the second half helped the Crimson and Black secure the 11-point win.
 
The Javelinas (2-1) suffered their first loss despite shooting scoring 22 points off 19 CWU turnovers. Their bench also had a productive night outscoring the Wildcats reserves 34-15. The back breaker in the game shooting consistency for the game despite the slow start.
 
CWU shot 48.6% from the floors in the first half and went 54.2% in the second half to finish the night with a 50.8 shooting percentage on 30-59 made shots. Neither team shot the ball well from deep, but the advantage belonged to the Wildcats who went 5-16 for 31.3%, while the Javelinas were just 4-24 from deep for 16.7%.
 
"That was not the start that we were looking for, but our guys showed a lot of heart by battling back and taking the lead to end the half. We had some great stretches defensively," CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta said. "That was what ultimately got us back in the game. It wasn't pretty, but we will take it. Kingsville plays hard and are as good as it gets when it comes to pressuring the whole game."
 
The game started as well as it good for TAMUK, as the team scored eight quick points, all in the paint, to get up 8-3 early. The Wildcats lone three points to start the game were on the merit of Tariq Woody who made a jumper in the paint and drew contact for a and-one opportunity that he cashed in on.
 
The Javelinas fast start propelled them to a 15-3 lead with 14:07 to play in the half. Regardless, the Wildcats were poised in patient and managed to cut their deficit to single digits and keep it there until late in the first half where they took a lead late.
 
CWU began clawing its way back thanks in part to a 16-5 run that got the team within one, 20-19, with 8:00 to play on the clock. A Micah Pollard triple got things going for the Wildcat offense. Playing a solid role in the scoring run was Xavier Smith who accounted for seven of the team's 16 points.
 
Smith got his 23-point night started with a fast break layup. He followed it up with a contested jumper in the paint and capped off the seven-point surge with a long three-pointer. His played combined with a selfless CWU offense brought the game within one.
 
TAMUK responded after its lead fell apart but getting back up five points, 26-21, with 6:46 to play in the first half. Davon Bolton then scored five straight for the Crimson and Black to tie it back at 26-all. Marqus Gilson gave CWU its first lead with 5:30 on the clock, 27-26, after going 1-2 at the free throw line.
 
Looking to keep the momentum in their favor, the Javelinas once again jumped back out to a six-point lead, 35-29, with just under 3:30 to play in the half. Going on a rhythm that they established, the Wildcat offense quickly dispelled the Javelinas hopes and outscored them 10-2 to close out the first half.
 
A Matt Poquette dunk got the run started for the Wildcats. From then on it was a balanced attack as Smith, Woody, Micah Pollard, and Gamaun Boykin all distributed in the run to help CWU take a 39-37 lead into the halftime break.
 
Coming out of the locker room, Smith pushed the CWU lead to five with a three ball to make it a 42-27 game. The Javelinas answered with two quick buckets to get within one, but the Wildcats momentum building close to the first half poured into the second half. CWU led the majority of the second half and late free throws help them seal the double figure win.
 
After not having a single player score in double figures in the first half for CWU, they had two go over 10 points in the second half. Smith and Woody took control in the second half scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively. Also helping out was Poquette who chipped in seven. The trio shot a combined 9-12 from the floor, while CWU was a blistering 13-24 overall in the second half for 54.2%.
 
TAMUK managed to tie the game at 44-all with a three pointer at the 17:49 mark, but they never managed to tie again. The team got within one possession multiple times, but the Crimson and Black squad had response each time to stay in front.
 
The two teams traded made shots and it seemed fans were going to get a nail biter of a finish. At the midway point of the second half, CWU found itself in front 60-55. The Wildcats stayed in front by two or more possessions going forward until the 4:18 mark when the Javelinas cut the lead to just one, 68-67.
 
Bolton made a pair of free throws to push it back to three but TAMUK hit a jumper in the paint to stay within one, 70-69. Smith countered this time around with a driving layup and the Wildcats never let the Javelinas get within one point the rest of the night.
 
The final three minutes became a battle at the free throw line. The Javelinas looked to save clock time after made shots and wanted the Wildcats to win it at the line, which they did. Of CWU's final 11 points, nine came at the line, with the other two coming on a fast break layup by Smith.
 
Smith was 7-8 at the free throw line in that span for the Wildcats and scored nine of the teams 11 final points. Woody was 2-2 in that span as well to add the final two points for the Wildcats. The late clutch shooting at the free throw line helped the Wildcats get the weekend started on a high note.
 
Smith led all scorers with 23 points in 31 minutes of play. He went 7-13 from the floor, while going 2-4 from deep and 7-9 from the line. Woody posted 17 points on 7-9 made shots and was a clean 3-3 from the charity strip. He also pulled down seven rebounds in the win. Poquette had a double-double night scoring 11 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. He also blocked a game-best three shots. Bolton chipped in nine points and dished out six assists to lead all players.
 
"Xavier [Smith], Tariq [Woody], and Matt [Poquette] came up with some big plays for us all game long," Coach Rinta stated. "Davon [Bolton] was a huge key as well with his ability to handle the pressure and create for his teammates."
 
The Wildcats are back on the hardwood Saturday (tomorrow) for day two of the Fairfield Inn Tournament. CWU will take on Colorado Christian University with tip-off scheduled 3 p.m. PT.