ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Cameron Cranston put together another impressive performance recording a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds Saturday night. Despite the big night from Cranston, the Western Oregon University men's basketball team wasn't able to get past Central Washington with the Wildcats claiming the 90-67 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win inside Nicholson Pavilion.
Cranston went 11-22 from the field, 4-7 from three and 3-3 at the foul line for his 29 points. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, added two steals and a block in 38 minutes. Three other Wolves reached double-figures in scoring with Yosani Clay adding 12 points, five steals and four assists. Tyreek Price went for 11 points and three rebounds, while John Morrill-Keeler added 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
It was the sixth time this season Cranston has scored at least 20 points in a game and is his second-highest point total of the season, just off his career-high 35-point night at Montana State Billings.
Central Washington (9-3, 3-2 GNAC) posted the first five points of the game a minute in. Clay got WOU (3-10, 2-3 GNAC) on the board with a jumper at the 18:53 mark. That helped ignite an 8-0 run for the Wolves with Clay adding a three-pointer and then Price added a long ball a minute later to move the Wolves out to the 8-5 lead.
Holding a one-point lead, Cranston scored five straight points with a layup and then a three-pointer off an assist by Qiant Myers to push WOU out to a 13-7 lead nearly five minutes in.
After CWU came back to regain the lead, WOU grabbed the lead two more times near the midway point of the opening half. Another Cranston deep ball gave WOU a 16-14 lead and after the Wildcats tied it, Clay threw down a dunk for the 18-16 lead.
After Daisone Hughes tied the game at 20 on a jumper, Central Washington went on a 16-0 run to take a 36-20 lead.
WOU tried to chip away, but the Wildcats outscored the Wolves by five the rest of the half to take a 46-25 halftime lead.
A three-pointer by Myers a minute into the second half had WOU back to within 15. Following a run by CWU to get the lead back over 20, the Wolves kept fighting back getting as close as 12 near the midway point of the half.
Clay hit a jumper and Cranston added a jumper of his own to cut the Wildcats lead down to 68-56. Following a triple by Cranston at the 8:03 mark had WOU back to within 13, that would be as close as the Wolves would get the rest of the way. CWU outscored WOU by 10 the remainder of the game to take the 90-67 victory.
WOU went 25-59 (42.4) from the field, 11-27 (40.7) from three and 6-9 (66.7) from the foul line.
Central Washington received big games from Marqus Gilson, Xavier Smith and Matt Poquette as the trio combined for 61 points. Gilson led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Smith tallied 20 points and Poquette chipped in 18 points. CWU went 36-61 (59) from the field, 7-15 (46.7) from three and 11-14 (78.6) at the foul line. The Wildcats used a big 50-22 advantage on points in the paint.
WOU will continue the road trip playing a home and home series with Saint Martin's this week. The Wolves will play at the Saints on Thursday night starting at 7:30 p.m. before hosting the Saints a few days later on Saturday in Monmouth starting at 4:15 p.m.
