ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Marqus Gilson led the Central Washington University men's basketball team with a double-double as the Wildcats (9-3, 3-2 GNAC) took down Western Oregon University (3-10, 2-3 GNAC) in their GNAC home opener.
"It felt good to be home," CWU Head Coach
Brandon Rinta said. "The band and the crowd, we appreciate everyone coming out. It's been a long time waiting."
Gilson finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds as he led the 'Cats offense.
Xavier Smith recorded 20 points; it is the fourth consecutive contest where he has tallied at least 20 points.
Matt Poquette finished with 18 points to round out the top three scorers.
Western Oregon's Cameron Cranston recorded 29 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. The Wolves finished with a shooting percentage of 42.4 and tallied 16 turnovers.
"He got in that rhythm tonight," Rinta said of WOU's Cranston. "He's the focus of every team that plays Western Oregon and for him to continue to score 20+ when he's the focus, he's crafty, has a good shot fade, and it shoots it well from three."
The Wildcats made the best out of the Wolves' mistakes, scoring 23 points off turnovers. They added 50 points in the paint, 17 fast break points, 10 second chance points, and 17 points off the bench. Central's bench scored 15 of their 17 points in the first half. The Wildcats held Western Oregon to just 22 points in the paint, including just eight in the first half. Also in the first half, Central held the Wolves to zero second chance points. They out rebounded WOU 37-26, including a 6-5 margin in offensive boards. Central tallied 20 assists, eight of which came from
David Thompson.
"I thought our energy was really good in the first half defensively," Rinta added. "That was one of our better halves of the year. In the second half it dipped a little in the first 10 minutes, but we were able to pick it back up in the final 10 minutes. I thought we had some good stretches defensively, which is where we need to continue to take steps."
Central found themselves down by six just under five minutes into the contest. A quick start to the Wolves' offense made it 13-7 before three consecutive buckets by Smith and Thompson put CWU ahead 14-13.
After trading buckets for a few possessions, a 16-0 run for the Crimson and Black helped stake out a 30-20 lead. The run started with a trey from
Micah Pollard.
Isaiah Banks then knocked down a pair of jumpers in the paint, before
Amari Stafford drained a three. Poquette then knocked down a pair at the free throw line and picked up a layup on the 'Cats next possession. The Wolves were finally able to snap their scoreless streak with a three from Tyreek Price. Central's run lasted nearly seven minutes of game time.
The next five Wildcat points came from free throws, before Stafford delivered on another three.
Gilson closed out the scoring in the first half for the Wildcats as they headed into the locker room ahead 46-25.
Western Oregon chipped away at the 'Cats lead in the early minutes of the second half, forcing it down eight points to 68-56 midway through the stanza.
Central kept the pressure on, however, reestablishing a 20-point lead with four minutes to play on another dunk from Smith.
Time management became the game for the Wildcats in the final minutes. They scored just three baskets in the final four minutes, utilizing the shot clock to drain the Wolves' chances at a comeback.
The Wildcats are scheduled to be back at home on Tuesday (Jan. 25) as they host Simon Fraser University at 4:00 pm. The game was originally scheduled for January 1, but was postponed.
