SEATTLE, Wash. – Central Washington men's basketball fell victim to a thrilling comeback from Seattle Pacific on Thursday night. The Falcons won 77-75. Central Washington had a chance in the final minute but, the game tying shot at the buzzer fell short. 

QUOTING HEAD COACH BRANDON RINTA
"That was a hard-fought game on both sides. That's the way it's going to be going into the second half of conference play. You have to play so well on the road just to give yourself a chance. Sometimes it comes down to who can make one more play."

NOTABLE STATS

• Shaw Anderson led the Falcons scoring 33 points and hauling in six rebounds. Anderson shot 13-25 from the floor.
• Samaad Hector scored 16 points, Anjaylo Lloyd put up 12 points, and Jordan Clark added 11 points.
• The Falcons scored 12 second chance points to the Wildcats four.
• The game was back-and-forth the entire time and saw seven lead changes.

FIRST HALF

• It was a slugfest in the first ten minutes. Hector hit an early three for the 'Cats, but Shaw Anderson scored in the paint for the Falcons and a three on the next possession from Jadin Penigar tied the game at ten.
• Central Washington went on a 6-0 run. The Wildcats punctuated the run when Cavin Holden lobbed one up to Maverick Sanders, who finished the alley-oop with a thunderous jam. The 'Cats run put them up 24-17 with 5:23 remaining in the half.
• Shaw Anderson kept Seattle Pacific in it, scoring six points in the final four minutes.
• The 'Cats closed out the half by hitting three from beyond the arc to put them up 39-32 at the break.

SECOND HALF

• Bradley Swillie's layup in the first three minutes stretched Central Washington's lead to 12.
• Jonas La Tour took control for the Falcons and scored eight straight points. He made a layup and then nailed back-to-back threes to bring Seattle Pacific within three 48-45 with 13:44 left.
• Jordan Clark's three pushed the 'Cats lead back to ten. After that, the momentum shifted towards the Falcons. Shaw Anderson rattled off eight points and a three pointer from Kyle Luttinen gave Seattle Pacific their first lead since the 13:22 mark in the first half.
• It was a frantic final three minutes. Tied at 69, Kyle Luttinen crashed the glass, secured an offensive rebound, and made the layup. On the next possession, Jello missed a three and on the other end, Shaw Anderson nailed a turnaround jumper which put the Falcons up by four with under two minutes to play.
• The Wildcats didn't back down. Clark's layup cut the deficit to four and on the next possession, Hector stole the ball and got it to Colby Gennett, who calmly banked it in to make it a two-point game. With ten seconds left, McNeil made a spinning jumper that tied the game at 75.
• The Falcons sprinted down the court and Shaw Anderson came up big again with a put back to make it 77-75.
• With three seconds left, Camron McNeil received the inbound pass, made it the free throw line and took a shot. His shot hit the side of the rim and bounced out.
• Seattle Pacific completed the comeback to secure the 77-75 victory.

UP NEXT

• Central Washington travels to take on Montana State Billings on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.