ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team improved to 10-3 and 4-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with an 84-61 victory over Simon Fraser University (8-5, 3-2 GNAC).
Since Simon Fraser University joined the GNAC in the 2010-11 academic year, the Wildcats are 11-0 when facing SFU in Nicholson Pavilion.
Xavier Smith led the Wildcats' offense, scoring 20 points. He finished 9-for-11 from the field, including a 2-for-4 mark from deep. He added four rebounds, one assist, and three blocks to his evening as well. Also scoring in double digits were
Marqus Gilson (17),
David Thompson (16), and
Matt Poquette (10). Poquette led the Wildcats with nine rebounds.
"Offensively, we were in a good rhythm in the first half," CWU Head Coach
Brandon Rinta said. "But I think it was in the second half where we really able to find our rhythm. Marqus, Xavier, David, and Matt played really well together. We did a good job sharing the ball, working it inside out, and fighting for great shots."
The Wildcats' defense held SFU to a shooting percentage of 38.6 and just a 6-for-20 mark from beyond the arc. Central, meanwhile, shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 12-for-14 at the free throw line. They scored 48 points in the paint, 30 points off turnovers, 12 fast break points, and the reserves chipped in for 16 points.
"I think that was one of our better efforts defensively on the year," Rinta added. "I thought we did a great job defensively, especially in a few areas. Anytime you hold a team to 38-percent from the floor, you're doing something good defensively. It was good for us to string together some good possessions and find a level of consistency on defense."
After falling behind 6-0 in the first two and a half minutes, the Wildcats stormed back on a 16-0 run for an early lead. Central's defense held Simon Fraser without a bucket, after the initial 6-0 run, until Julian Roche connected from deep with 11:30 on the clock. Halfway through the first, the Crimson and Black built a 10-point lead, 20-10.
Central held Roche to just eight points and five rebounds.
An 8-0 run for Simon Fraser brought the game back within two, before a bucket from Thompson broke the 'Cats brief scoreless streak. Central extended their lead to a 10-point differential, before closing the half with a 38-26 lead.
Three minutes into the second half, a three from Roche dropped Simon Fraser's deficit into single digits. A driving layup from Smith pushed the Wildcats' lead back to double digits, 47-36, on their next possession.
A dunk from
Mitch Brizee extended Central's lead to 13, 55-42, with 12:09 left in regulation. The score sat at 55-42 until a turn-around layup from Gilson at the 9:21 mark. From there, the Wildcats pushed their advantage to 20, reaching a game-high 26-point lead with under three minutes remaining. The Crimson and Black's final bucket came on a three from
David Lindgren with 32 seconds left in regulation.
Central is back in action on Thursday (Jan. 27) as they head north of the border to face Simon Fraser in West Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm in Burnaby, British Columbia.
