ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team (6-7, 0-2 GNAC) built a first-half lead and battled through the second half, but Northwest (3-6, 0-2 CCC) pulled ahead late behind efficient shooting and free throws to hand the Wildcats an 82-76 loss at Nicholson Arena.
 
Quoting Head Coach Brandon Rinta
"We needed to be better containing Watkins and defending the three-point line tonight. Hard to win when we let them hit 13 three's and we go 11-20 from the FT line."
 
Notable Stats

• Bradley Swillie led the 'Cats, scoring 17 points, followed by Chae Haynes and Garrett Marrs with 13 points each.
• Marrs shot well from beyond the arc, going 3-6 for a .500 percentage.
• Haynes led on the glass with nine rebounds, while Eli Williams and Jalen Childs recorded eight boards.
• Central shot steadily from the field for 46.8 percent for the entire game, while Northwest's spoils came from behind the three-point line, shooting 44.8 percent in the game compared to CWU's 30.4 percent.

 
First Half

• Central set the tone early, opening on a 7-0 run capped by a Marrs three-pointer.
• The Wildcats maintained control for much of the half with balanced scoring and strong interior play from Chae Haynes.
• Despite several Northwest rallies, CWU continued to answer with good shots, including transition scores from Swillie.
• In the closing seconds of the half, Swillie knocked down a three at the buzzer, giving the Wildcats a 34-30 halftime lead.

 
Second Half

• Northwest opened the half with increased shots from beyond the arc, briefly taking the lead early in the period.
• The Wildcats responded with strong play from Swillie and Childs, tying the game multiple times and reclaiming the lead at 47–44 on a Swillie three-pointer.
• Haynes hit a layup that would tie the game at 55-55 with 9:05 remaining.
• The 'Cats took a three-point lead, but the Eagles answered with a late run fueled by second-chance points and free throws to take the lead and build it to double digits with less than three minutes left.
• CWU rallied in the final minute, cutting the lead to 78–76 with 29 seconds remaining.
• However, Northwest sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final seconds, closing out the 82–76 victory.

 
Up Next
The Wildcats head on holiday with a two-and-a-half-week break before returning after the new year to host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 4:00 p.m.