TACOMA, Washington (January 10, 2025) – The Loggers (5-7) drop to 0-3 in the Northwest Conference with a 101-90 loss to Pacific University (8-5, 3-1 NWC).

The Loggers jumped out to an early lead, fueled by baskets from Ian Cook and Liam Ruttledge. Their defense stopped the Boxers on five consecutive possessions, and they took a 17-11 lead. The Loggers extended their lead to 10 points with a 10-4 run. But, the Boxers closed the gap to three, and the Loggers led 40-37 going into halftime. Both teams were 14 for 32 in the paint with three 3-pointers each, but free-throws gave the Loggers a slight edge.

The Boxers took control in the second half, tying the game at 47-47. They went on a 12-0 run to take a 54-47 lead and never looked back. Pacific extended its lead to 16 points, the largest of the game, and the Loggers were unable to recover from the deficit.

Taj Phillips reached a career milestone, scoring his 1,000th point with his first two baskets of the game. He finished with 1,026 career points and also surpassed Todd Doolittle (1990-94) for second place in all-time assists at UPS with 431. Phillips led the Loggers with 29 points, while Cook added a career high 24 points and 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

The Loggers return home tomorrow to face Linfield University at 4 p.m.