LACEY, Wash. - Coming back from a 13-point deficit with 10
minutes left to play to tie the game with 27 second left the play,
the 18th-ranked Puget Sound Loggers gave the NCAA Division II Saint
Martin Saints all they could handle before falling, 74-72, in a
non-conference men's basketball game on Tuesday evening in Lacey,
Wash.
The Saints (3-0) controlled the game early, but the Loggers
(1-3) took a lead with 8:09 left to play in the first half on a
lay-up by sophomore Edric Egberuare (San Jose, Calif./Milipitas)
that put Puget Sound up, 22-20. A free throw by freshman
Riggs Yarbro (Moses Lake, Wash./Moses Lake Christian) put the
Loggers up by three but the Saints battled back, retaking the lead
with 5:07 left to play in the first half on a three-pointer by
Galen Squiers. The team continued to trade points for the
rest of the point as SMU took a 37-32 lead into halftime.
In the second half, it looks like Saint Martin's was going to
pull away, building their lead into double-digits just 2:32 into
the second half on a layup by Blake Poole that put SMU up by a
score of 49-39. The Loggers battled back to get back within
five points but the Saints continued to build up the lead
again. Eric Taylor hit a three-points with 10:24 remaining to
give SMU a 13-point lead at 62-49 but Puget Sound didn't give in.
The Loggers chipped the deficit into single digits with 6:46
left to play on a layup by senior Austin Boyce (Kent,
Wash./Kentwood). The SMU lead got down to four points with 3:27
left to play on a free throw by sophomore Nadav Heyman (Corvallis,
Ore.) and then a pair of free throws by Kaleb Shelton (Tacoma,
Wash./Lincoln) with 27 seconds left tied the game at 72-72.
Unfortunately for Puget Sound, the Loggers were unable to
complete the comeback victory as Poole put in a layup with just
five seconds left to put SMU up by two points as they completed the
two point victory, 74-72.
The Loggers were led by 14 points from Boyce, who also added
three steals and two assists. Shelton finished with 11 points
and seven rebounds on the night while Bryce Levin (Everett, Wash.)
and Egberuare each added 10 points in the loss. The Loggers forced
26 turnovers on the night but were outrebounded, 49-34.
Saint Martin's was led by 31 points and 16 rebounds from Poole,
who also turned the ball over seven titmes on the night.
Jeremy Green added 16 points for the Saints.
The Loggers' road trip continues this weekend as they head to
Oshkosh, Wis. to take on UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire in a pair of
NCAA Division III West Region contests.
