ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team dominated the floor with strong field goal percentage to defeat Western Oregon on Saturday night in front of a raucous Nicholson Arena crowd.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
- Final: Central Washington (92), Western Oregon (75)
- Records: CWU (10-10, 4-5 GNAC), WOU (7-11, 2-7 GNAC)
- Location: Nicholson Arena (Ellensburg, Wash.)
QUOTING CWU HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH BRANDON RINTA:
"We were due for an offensive performance like that. That was one of our best passing games of the year, getting 24 assists on 31 field goals. Swillie led the charge with seven of those assists. Jordan, Eli, and Jamari came up big for us from the three-point line. Jamari had a great game on both sides of the floor tonight."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Wildcats set the tone immediately, opening the game on a 15-4 run in the first five minutes. Eli Williams jump-started the surge with an early three, while Jordan Clark and Calvin Sisk capitalized on Western Oregon turnovers to fuel transition offense.
- Central's defense forced mistakes and led to easy baskets, building a double-digit lead before the midway point of the half. After Western Oregon briefly settled in, Jamari Harris provided the night's biggest spark off the bench. Harris scored 12 points in the final 10 minutes of the first half, highlighted by a steal that finished with a big dunk followed by back-to-back threes that stretched the margin from 10 to 19. CWU closed the half on a dominant run, shooting over 64 percent from the field and taking a 48-31 lead into the break.
- The Wolves opened the second half with renewed energy, trimming the deficit to 50-39 off strong perimeter shooting and good finishes under the hoop. Each time the Wolves threatened, The 'Cats answered. Sisk and Xavier Kamalu-Vargas scored inside to halt the momentum, before the Crimson and Black again took over.
- Midway through the second half, Harris sparked a 17-4 Wildcat run, scoring nine points during the stretch, including a fast-break layup, a corner three, and a pair of free throws off a steal. That push extended the lead to over 20 and effectively put the game out of reach, leading to an eventual 92-75 victory for CWU.
STATS FROM THE GAME:
- Harris led the Wildcats in a flawless performance, pouring in 23 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting night, knocking down all four of his three-point attempts and all five free throws while adding four rebounds, two steals, and a block.
- Clark finished with 16 points, going 4-5 from beyond the arc while also contributing three assists, two rebounds, and a steal.
- Bradley Swillie scored 12 points and showed up as a key playmaker, dishing out seven assists while pulling down four rebounds.
- Sisk added 11 points, while recording five rebounds, three steals, and a block.
- Chae Haynes contributed 11 points off the bench, while collecting five rebounds and adding two assists.
- Williams chipped in 10 points, hitting three triples and providing steady ball movement with three assists to go along with two rebounds.
- Kamalu-Vargas scored five points and impacted the game as a playmaker, tallying three assists, two rebounds, and a steal.
- Jalen Childs rounded out the scoring with four points and added two assists and a rebound.
- The Wildcats shot 63.3 percent from the floor, 68.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.1 percent from the free-throw line.
- The Wolves were led by Braydon Olson, who had 26 points, three rebounds, and three steals, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field.
- WOU shot 42.9 percent from the floor, 26.9 percent from three, and 72.7 percent at the free-throw line.
- The 'Cats led the rebound battle 36-27.
SERIES HISTORY:
- CWU leads the all-time series 55-23.
- The Wildcats are currently on a seven-game win streak
- Central is 30-9 against the Wolves at Nicholson Arena.
UP NEXT:
The 'Cats head out to Nampa next week to take on Northwest Nazarene in the lone matchup of the week on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip-off from Johnson Sports Center is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. PST.
