Darius Lubom
Amanda Loman
98
Winner Seattle Pacific SPU 10-4, 6-0 GNAC
88
Western Ore. WOU 9-3, 3-3 GNAC
Winner
Seattle Pacific SPU
10-4, 6-0 GNAC
98
Final
88
Western Ore. WOU
9-3, 3-3 GNAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Seattle Pacific SPU 38 38 22 98
Western Ore. WOU 41 35 12 88

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brian Kortz

#24 Men’s Basketball plays back-and-forth overtime battle with Seattle Pacific

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Facing the last unbeaten team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the #24 Western Oregon University men's basketball team and Seattle Pacific put on a show. Not only did the teams trade shots down the stretch in regulation, the game would go to the extra session before the Falcons were able to pull away for the 98-88 GNAC win inside a rocking NPE Building Gym.

Both teams were hitting shots as SPU (10-4, 6-0 GNAC) connected on 30-57 (53) from the field, 15-27 (56) from three and took advantage at the foul line going 23-28 (82). WOU (9-3, 3-3 GNAC) countered with a solid 34-76 (45) from the field, 14-40 (35) from three, but only went to the foul line seven times making six (86).

"You have to give Seattle Pacific credit, they came in here and played well; SPU is a very good team," head coach Wes Pifer said. "Tonight we struggled to guard the three-point line and it really cost us down the stretch."

WOU rode the early energy in the gym to move out to a 4-0 lead with baskets from Darius Lubom and Jaylyn Richardson. The lead stretched to six nearly five minutes in when Dalven Brushier carried the momentum from his career-high 37-point night on Thursday hitting a three-pointer for the 13-6 lead. Brushier scored 11 of the first 18 points for the Wolves.

Following Brushier's third three-pointer at the 13:28 mark had WOU still in front 18-12, the Falcons continued to chip away, getting as close as one on a couple of occasions. Just when it looked like Seattle Pacific was ready to gain the advantage, WOU unleashed a quick 6-0 spurt with Richardson starting the rally with a fastbreak layup. Lubom then had a pair of back-to-back fastbreak layups to push the lead to 31-23 with seven minutes to play before the break.

Seattle Pacific responded with a 7-0 run over the span of two minutes to once again pull to within a point at 31-30. After WOU again had the lead as high as seven, the Falcons hit a couple of three-pointers to pull to within one when Richardson closed the first half scoring with a jumper to leave the Wolves with a 41-38 lead at halftime.

Five minutes into the second half the Wolves had the lead to their largest of the night at 11 following a jumper by John Morrill-Keeler for the 57-46 advantage.

WOU continued to answer the baskets by the Falcons, keeping the lead at 10 over the next seven minutes. Still holding a seven-point lead off of a layup by Richardson, Seattle Pacific came back with a 10-0 run that was capped by Shaw Anderson's three-pointer with just over two minutes to play for the 74-71 lead for the Falcons. Anderson, a true freshman, went for a game-high 34 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.

Just when the Falcons had all the momentum, the Wolves came back down the floor and delivered a clutch shot when they needed it most. Cameron Cranston took a pass from Emanuel Gant and sunk a three-pointer to tie the game at 74.

Seattle Pacific would then go on to split four free throws over the next few trips down the floor leaving it a 76-74 SPU lead with 31 seconds to play. Lubom wasted little time tying the game as he went down the floor in seven seconds hitting a layup to knot the game again at 76 with 24 seconds to play.

That meant the Falcons had the last chance to win the game, but a key steal by Gant gave WOU the final chance with just over a second to play. Out of a timeout, Lubom in-bounded the pass crosscourt to Cranston who was in the corner. Cranston was barely able to keep his balance before launching a three that rattled all the way around the rim, off the backboard and back around the rim before caroming out to send the game into overtime.

Seattle Pacific came out of the gate on fire to start overtime scoring the first eight points in just over a minute of action. Gant was able to end the run with a pair of foul shots. WOU chipped the lead down to six with 1:56 to play on a three-pointer by Lubom.
Each time WOU had momentum, the Falcons had an answer. This time a three-pointer by Filip Fullerton answered the Lubom three to keep the lead at nine. Cranston drilled another three-pointer with just over a minute to play to keep the lead at six.

WOU then came up with a big defensive play on the next trip down when Richardson recorded a block, but as the Wolves looked to advance the ball, a turnover was picked up by Divant'e Moffitt and he converted it into a dunk to put the lead back to eight with just 35 seconds to play. After that, Lubom hit a layup before the Falcons closed the game out hitting four at the foul line for the 10-point victory.

Lubom paced the Wolves with 26 points on 12-19 shooting, a pair of three-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 42 minutes. Cranston and Richardson each added 16 points as Cranston had three blocks and a steal, while Richardson went 7-11 from the field and had two blocks. Brushier gave the Wolves four in double-figures as he scored 13 points, along with five rebounds and five assists.

While Anderson led the Falcons with his 34-point, nine rebound performance, Moffitt added 23 points, Braden Olsen had 19 points and Harry Cavell rounded out the four in double-figures with 12 points.

WOU will hit the road this coming week playing away from Monmouth for the first time since Dec. 7 when they will travel north to Canada to face Simon Fraser on Thursday night starting at 7 p.m. The Wolves will close the road swing on Saturday in Bellingham against Western Washington at 7 p.m.
 
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