TACOMA, Wash. - The 11th-ranked Puget Sound Loggers became the
first team in the Northwest Conference in 21 years to start 8-0 as
they defeated the Willamette Bearcats, 100-62, in a NWC men's
basketball game on Saturday night at Memorial Fieldhouse in Tacoma,
Wash.
In the first half, the Bearcats kept it close early, not
allowing the Loggers to put up a double-digit lead until the 3:20
mark in the first period as the Loggers took an 11-point lead into
the break, 45-34. The Bearcats cleaned up the glass in the first 20
minutes, out-rebounding Puget Sound, 22-18, but the Loggers shot
58.8% from the field to take the first-half lead.
In the second half, it was all Loggers as they used a 16-2 run
to open the period and open the lead wide open. Puget Sound pushed
the lead to 30 points with 12:36 remaining and it continued to grow
to as high as 38 points with 3:30 remaining as the Loggers improved
to 8-0 in NWC play, the first team in conference history to do so
since Willamette went 10-0 in 1987-88.
The Loggers were led by 20 points from senior Jason Foster
(Spanaway, Wash./Henry Foss). Robert Krauel (Phoenix, Ariz./North
Canyon) added 16 and freshman Kaleb Shelton (Tacoma, Wash./Lincoln)
came off the bench to added 12 points. 13 different Loggers scored
for Puget Sound in the game as they collected the easy win.
Willamette was led by 13 points from Cameron Mitchell. Corey
Constantino added 11 points before getting in foul trouble while
Marcus Holmes added 10 points off the bench.
The Loggers head down to Oregon next weekend to open up the
second half of Northwest Conference play when they travel to Lewis
& Clark. Tip-off with the Pioneers is set for 8:00 p.m. on
Friday in Portland, Ore.
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