SALEM, Ore. - With 8:34 left to
play, it looked like the sixth-ranked Puget Sound Loggers would
face defeat for the first time in the Northwest Conference this
season but when the final buzzer filled Cone Field House, the
Loggers had collected the 75-74 win over the host Willamette
Bearcats on Saturday, becoming the first team in NWC men's
basketball history to finish the conference season 16-0.
The Bearcats took the lead just 17 seconds into the game on a
jumper by Cameron Mitchell and following a lay-up by Jason Foster
(Spanaway, Wash./Henry Foss) 17 seconds later, Willamette went on a
10-0 run to pull ahead early. The Loggers fought back, pulling back
within one point on a jumper by Steffond Brown (Seattle,
Wash./Lower Columbia CC) with 14:17 left to go in the first period.
Willamette built the lead back to nine but another strong Logger
effort tied the game up twice in the closing minutes of the half
before the 'Cats used a late run to take a six-point lead
into the half, 42-36.
In the second half, the Bearcats found a way to hold off any rally
the Loggers tried to throw at them. After Puget Sound found
themselves in foul trouble, Willamette slowly built the lead back
into double-digits, building a 15-point lead midway though the
period.
The Loggers fired themselves back up and brought the lead down to
six points on a three-pointer by Antwan Williams (Portland,
Ore./Madison) with 4:46 left to play. Senior Robert Krauel
(Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon) cut the lead to four with 3:08 to
play and then Brown cut the deficit to just two points with just
2:10 left on the clock. Williams got the Loggers within one point
with just under a minute left to play.
Following a missed three-pointer at the Willamette end of the
court, the game came down to a pair of free throws by Williams with
eight seconds left to go and Williams handled the pressure, making
both to give the Loggers their first lead of the game, 75-74, and a
missed shot by Mitchell at the buzzer gave the Loggers their 18th
consecutive victory and the undefeated NWC season.
The Loggers were led in scoring by Krauel, who finished with 22
points on the night. Austin Boyce (Kent, Wash./Kentwood) finished
with 11 points and Williams concluded the night with 10 points,
including the game-clinching free-throws.
Willamette was led by 19 points from Kyler McClary, who also added
seven rebounds. Corey Constantino added 14 points before fouling
out and Mitchell nearly collected the double-double, scoring nine
points and bringing down nine rebounds.
The Loggers, who secured the top seed in the Northwest Conference
tournament with a win over Whitworth on Feb. 13, will have to wait
until Sunday night to find out who they will play in the opening
round of the conference tournament. Should Whitworth win on Sunday,
the Loggers will play host to Lewis & Clark but if Lewis &
Clark should defeat Whitworth, then Puget Sound will play host to
Linfield.
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