ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The Central Washington University men's basketball team hosts Walla Walla University in a non-conference contest on Monday (Dec. 13) at 7:00 p.m.
QUOTABLE
"They've been able to rest," CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta said. "It's a quick turnaround for us. They have one of the best post players in the Cascade Conference. They just picked a win against Whitman a couple days ago. We are ready to get back at it."
SCOUTING WALLA WALLA
The Wolves are 1-8 on the season, after recording a win over Whitman College on Thursday (Dec. 9), 84-73.
Zayne Browning led the Wolves offense with 21 points. He shot 8-for-12 from the field and 4-for-6 at the free throw line. Caleb Golden and KiAndre Gaddy both tallied 16 points. Walla Walla shot 52.4 percent from the floor and a near perfect 13-for-15 at the charity stripe. Ethan Ford compiled 13 rebounds, nine points, four assists, and two steals.
Walla Walla held the lead for for 37 minutes and dominated in the paint, out scoring the Blues 54-24. In the second half, the Wolves held the Blues to a mark of 11-for-32 from the floor.\
The Wolves have eclipsed 80 or more points only twice through their first nine games. They are 0-6 against the Wildcats from 2011-2017. The last meeting came on November 25, 2017 with the 'Cats taking a 100-64 victory in Ellensburg. All six games have been played in Ellensburg. In 2015, Central recorded 119 points with six players scoring 10 or more points. The Wildcats finished with a shooting percentage of 58.3, while holding the Wolves to a mark of 41.2.
Walla Walla has marked Monday's game as an exhibition.
LAST TIME OUT
Four Wildcats scored at least 10 points. David Thompson led the 'Cats with 18, while Marqus Gilson put up 17. Xavier Smith tallied a dozen and Matt Poquette recorded 11. Gilson finished 8-for-11 from the field, while Thompson was 9-for-14. Gilson and Micah Pollard both recorded a team-high six rebounds. Central had just six free throws, four of them coming from Smith who finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. Thompson also led the Wildcats with four of Central's 13 assists.
Defensively, Pollard recorded a team-high three steals. Gilson swatted a pair of shots as the Wildcats held the Lutes to a shooting percentage of 42.6. Pacific Lutheran went 5-for-24 from beyond the arc, including a 1-for-11 mark in the first half.
The Crimson and Black scored 54 points in the paint and 19 off turnovers. Central's bench chipped in 19 points, including an emphatic dunk from David Lindgren in the game's final minutes.
