BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team saw its season come to an end after falling to Saint Martin's 87-68 Friday night in the semifinal of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships on WECU Court at Carver Gym.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: Central Washington (68), Saint Martin's (87)
• Location: WECU Court at Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH BRANDON RINTA:
 
"We were not at our best tonight and Saint Martin's came out of the gates on fire. We put together a few runs in the first half but ultimately were unable to keep them out of the paint and off the glass. Not the ending we were hoping for, but this team came a long way this season. It took a lot of growth for us to get from where we were in December to finishing in the top four in the conference and the conference tournament. Our Seniors Calvin and Xavier deserve to be proud of what they did for this team and program. They are hard workers who maximized their abilities and impact. True winners as basketball players and people."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• Both teams traded buckets in the first couple minutes with Jordan Clark giving the Wildcats an early 4-3 lead. However, the Saints found a rhythm and scored nine straight points to take a 12-4 lead.
• Central, showing that they won't give up early on, goes on a 12-8 run to cut the lead to four with 13:12 remaining in the half. The Saints then responded with seven unanswered points to make it a 27-16 lead, but CWU answered with five quick points with Chae Haynes getting a layup and Xavier Kamalu-Vargas hitting a shot from range to make it 21-27 with 10 and a half minutes left
• Mark Clegg Jr. followed with a strong statement with a layup, followed by a big dunk off a steal to give SMU a 31-21 lead. Calvin Sisk answered with a smooth skyhook shot off the low point to cut the lead to single digits. The teams traded a few points as Saint Martin's held a steady 38-27 lead through the next five minutes. However, SMU continued to score and went on a seven-point run to take a 45-27 lead. Bradley Swillie would get a three-pointer to close out the half as Central trailed 30-45 into the break.
• The second half showed to be all Saint Martin's as the Saints opened the half with six straight points to make it a 20-point game. The Wildcats fought to cut into the score, but SMU found equal pressure to keep the comfortable lead. Through nearly the entire second half, the Saints held a lead of 20 points or more over the Wildcats as they closed out the game with a 87-68 victory over CWU to advance to the GNAC Championship game.
   

STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Bradley Swillie led the team with 22 points and added eight assists, two rebounds and a steal.
• Eli Williams finished with nine points, three rebounds and a steal.
• Jordan Clark contributed eight points, four assists, four steals and two blocks, along with one rebound.
• Calvin Sisk scored eight points and recorded four rebounds, two blocks, two steals and one assist.
• Jamari Harris added seven points and three rebounds.
• Chae Haynes totaled six points with four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.
• Xavier Kamalu-Vargas got five points and four assists.
• Garrett Marrs scored three points with one rebound and one assist.
• CWU finished the game shooting 45.6 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from three, and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line.
• Diego Trejo-Delgado led the Saints with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Four other Saints scored double digits including Patrick Kilfoil (13), Dae'Kwon Watson (12), Pablo Navarro (10), and Mark Clegg Jr. (10).
• SMU shot 51.4 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from three, and 75 percent at the free-throw line.
• Saint Martin's dominated the rebound battle 45-22, including 17 offensive boards to Central's six.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• As the season ends, the Wildcats will turn their focus toward building for next year. With valuable experience gained and a strong core returning, the team looks forward to continuing its growth next season.
• CWU would like to thank the Wildcat fans for their incredible support throughout the year. Your energy and passion make a difference, and the Wildcats can't wait to see you back in Nicholson Arena next season.