TACOMA, Washington – With four games left in the Northwest Conference season, the Puget Sound men's basketball team is only two games out from first place. The Loggers aim to climb the ladder when they host Willamette and George Fox this weekend (Feb. 3-4).
 
Conference climate
Whitman, which recently lost at home to Puget Sound, is in first place in the NWC with an 8-2 conference record. Whitworth, which has also lost to the Loggers this season, is in second place at 7-3. Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark are both 6-4, while Linfied is 6-5.
 
Making the most of looks
Although the Loggers are 2-2 in their last four games, the team has shot better than 48.0-percent from the floor in each of those games. The Loggers are also shooting 37.9-percent from beyond the arc during that stretch. Puget Sound has an overall 47.0 field-goal percentage, and 36.3 3-point percentage. The Loggers' 75.3 free-throw percentage leads the NWC.
 
Mussie's mark
Mussie Teclemariam scored a career-high 25 points at Whitworth (Jan. 28). He shot 9-for-13 from the floor, and 2-for-3 from 3-point range. Teclemariam is averaging 13.6 points per game this season, and 16.5 points in NWC games. His 6.3 rebounds per game rank sixth in the NWC.
 
Grand effort
Grant Erickson stepped up at the "Whits" this past weekend. In the first meeting against Whitworth and Whitman (Dec. 2-3), he scored six and nine points, respectively. This past weekend, he scored 17 points against the Pirates, and 12 points against the Blues.
 
Perfect vision
Taj Phillips is averaging 4.8 assists this season, which ranks third in the NWC. He had a career-high nine assists against Evergreen State (Nov. 15), and he matched that total against Willamette (Jan. 7).
 
Leeway
Liam Rutledge has 44 3-point makes this season, which ranks sixth in the NWC. He his shooting 40.0percent from beyond the arc.
 
Scouting Willamette (5-14, 1-10)
The Bearcats are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. Their lone conference win is their most recent win - at Linfield (Jan. 3). Willamette allows a conference-high 95.2 points per game, and it commits the most turnovers (18.6). Jack Boydell is the NWC's second-leading scorer with 20.2 points per game. Josiah Frank and Ryder Hsiung both average 13.4 points.
 
Scouting George Fox (5-14, 4-6 NWC)
The Bruins have lost three of their last four games – the lone win during that stretch was against Willamette. George Fox has the conference's best turnover margin (+7.70), but it allows the second-most points (82.9) and has the worst field-goal percentage (42.5-percent).  Momo Stokes ranks fourth in the NWC for scoring (15.1), and Chis Nickelberry ranks ninth in the conference for rebounding (6.0),