MONMOUTH, Ore. – Seniors Julian Nichols and Andy Avgi each totaled 20 points while the team shot 51 percent from the floor leading No. 21 Western Oregon past Cal State Monterey Bay, 79-67, Friday night in day one action of the WOU/Doubletree by Hilton D2 Shootout.
 
Devon Alexander added 10 points, seven assists and three steals while a trio – Alex Roth, Jordan Wiley and Tanner Omlid – each had eight points for the Wolves (3-0).
 
Western Oregon led from wire-to-wire after Roth got the home team on the scoreboard with a 3-point bucket just 40 seconds in to the game. Consecutive triples from Wiley pushed the lead out to seven points and a layup after a steal from Omlid with 3:29 left in the half gave WOU a double-digit advantage for the first time (38-28).
 
Nichols sparked a 7-0 run early in the second half with a 3-pointer, followed by two lay-ups from Omlid. WOU enjoyed its biggest lead, 18 points, at the 9-minute mark.
 
The Otters began chipping away, slicing the margin to eight, 68-60 with 4:34 left in regulation.
 
Western Oregon looked inside with unselfish passing to get three successive lay-ups, two by Avgi, and Nichols found an open look from distance to build the lead back up to 14 points. Free throws carried the Wolves to its first home win of the season.
 
WOU went 29 of 56 from the floor for the night, including seven makes from behind the arc. Despite being outrebounded (30-28), the Wolves coughed up the ball only nine time while forcing 16 Monterey bay giveaways.
 
The Otters were led by Evan Zeller with 13 points and Alex Fertig with 10 points.
 
Western Oregon hosts Warner Pacific on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the fourth game of an action-packed day inside the New P.E. Building. Cal State Monterey Bay will see action on the proceeding game against Saint Martin's, beginning at 5 p.m.