ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team (6-6, 0-2 GNAC) had a strong second half against Evergreen State (0-7), as the Wildcats defeated the Geoducks 92-72 on Saturday evening in Nicholson Arena.
 
Quoting Head Coach Brandon Rinta
"We had some great stretches defensively in the second half that ultimately ended up being the difference in the game. It was a challenge having to play with all three of our Point Guards out injured. Swillie and Childs stepped up and helped us find a rhythm. I thought Sisk came in and had a great impact on the game in the second half as well."
 
Notable Stats

• Bradley Swillie led the offense with 27 points, while going 11-18 for .611 from the field.
• Chae Haynes dominated the glass with 12 rebounds, including six offensive boards.
• Garrett Marrs led in passing with five assists, followed by Swillie, Haynes, and Jalen Childs, each with four assists.
• Marrs also led in steals with three takeaways, followed by Childs and Jamari Harris with two steals each.

 
First Half

• Central opened the first couple of minutes with a 6-2 run for the early lead.
• The Geoducks responded with Zach Jefferson hitting a layup, followed by a three-pointer 30-seconds later to give Evergreen State the 7-6 lead.
• The Geoducks continued to have momentum through the next few minutes, building their lead to 16-10.
• The Wildcats answered with seven unanswered points to take a one-point lead.
• Then, both teams battled as they traded the lead for almost seven minutes.
• Marrs got a three-pointer to break a 27-27 tie. The 'Cats would build on the lead for a few minutes before the Geoducks cut it down to two as time expired with CWU leading 39-37 into halftime.

 
Second Half

• Evergreen State opened the second half well to stay in a close battle with the Wildcats.
• However, Central began to find scoring opportunities while the Geoducks' offense began to falter on their shots.
• The 'Cats began building their lead, reaching a double-digit lead with 12:19 remaining and continued to score unanswered until Kenzel Massey broke the run with a put-back off a missed three-point attempt.
• The Crimson and Black were not finished, though, as they went on a 17-4 run to take an 83-55 lead with just under five minutes left.
• The Geoducks began to find more scoring chances, but the damage was done as CWU cruised comfortably to a 92-72 victory.

 
Up Next
The Wildcats have one more match before the new year, taking on the visiting Northwest University Eagles on Monday, Dec. 15. Tip-off from Nicholson Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.