Sol Sanchez

Box Score

Central Wash. CentWA 14-15,9-9 Great Northwest

Saint Martin's SM 24-5,15-3 Great Northwest

Central Wash. CentWA

14-15,9-9 Great Northwest

Final

Mar. 03, 2023

Saint Martin's SM

24-5,15-3 Great Northwest

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Central Wash. CentWA	39	25	64
Saint Martin's SM	33	39	72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/3/2023 6:18:00 PM

Central Washington’s Season Ends in 72-64 Semifinal Loss

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Central Washington men's basketball lost 72-64 to Saint Martin's in the GNAC Semifinals on Friday afternoon. With the loss, the 'Cats season comes to a close.

QUOTING HEAD COACH BRANDON RINTA
"This is the most incredible group of young men I've ever had the privilege to coach. The resilience they showed reflects who they are as people. We started the season 0-5 and there was not an ounce of quit in any of them. I couldn't be prouder of them for battling back, taking fourth in the conference, and making it to the semifinals."

Rinta added the following about seniors Matt and Isaiah, "Matt has done as much for this program as anyone that has worn a Wildcat jersey. He worked hard to develop himself into an all-league player. Isaiah was the heart of this team and came with a warrior mentality every game."

Rinta had the following comments on Brock and Landis "Brock was a big part of this team finding its rhythm. We were really struggling offensively until we put the ball in his hands and started running high ball screen after high ball screen for him. Landis was our energy guy that came to play every day and kept everyone up."

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Saints jumped out to an early 10-point advantage. A three from Gilbert and baskets from Colby Gennett and Mitch Brizee put the 'Cats back in striking distance.
Camron McNeil converted a layup to tie the game at 25 and then nailed one from distance giving the Wildcats their first lead, 28-27.
Noah Pepper hit a three and sparked a 10-2 run giving the Crimson and Black a 39-33 lead at the break.
Central Washington opened the second half and grew their lead to eight, but the Saints fought back and converted a layup to take the 46-44 lead.
A dunk from Branden Bunn extended the Saints' lead to eight with 10:44 remaining. Noah Pepper answered Bunn's dunk with a three.
Matt Poquette finished a layup and then Isaiah Banks slammed one down to cut the deficit to four with 1:18 left.
A jumper from Kyle Greeley and free throws on the next possession secured the 72-64 victory for the Saints.

NOTABLE STATS

Camron McNeil led the 'Cats with 24 points hitting four threes and blocking two shots. In his final game as a Wildcat, Isaiah Banks scored 10 points. Noah Pepper scored nine points hitting three from beyond the arc.
Matt Poquette scored six points and corralled five rebounds and Brock Gilbert dished out four assists.
In the win, Kyle Greeley had a double-double scoring 23 points and hauling in 10 rebounds, Shakeem Alcindor put up 18 points and grabbed seven boards, and Branden Bunn chipped in 14 points.
The Wildcats made 11 threes, while Saint Martin's made three.
The Saints dominated points in the paint, scoring 34 to Central Washington's 20. SMU capitalized on CWU turnovers, scoring 16 points.