Walker averaged 15 points and more than eight rebounds a game last season for the Titans, who won the NWAACC championship. In the title game against Chemeketa, a 110-98 Tacoma victory, Walker totaled 23 points and 13 rebounds — one of his 10 double doubles posted by the Foss High School graduate.

“Nate is very a versatile and competitive winner who has the ability to defend and rebound effectively for us while playing multiple positions,” CWU coach Greg Sparling said in a university release. “He is also extremely efficient offensively, having shot 60 percent from the field last season.”

At Tacoma, Walker played for former Central player and assistant coach Carl Howell. Six other former Tacoma CC players are currently on CWU’s roster.

FASTPITCH

Yaks split pair with Big Bend

MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Karyssa Marbet threw a one-hitter and helped herself out by going 3 for 4 with two runs and four RBI in leading Yakima Valley to an 18-0 rout of Big Bend in the second game of an East Region softball doubleheader Friday.

Yakima Valley lost the opener 4-0 to move to 5-20 in region play and 14-22-1 overall.

Also in the second game, Tori Slobig was 4 for 5 with two runs and three RBI, Arlene Futch, Jessie Ihly and Krysta Beach had three hits each, with Ihly belting a three-run homer and driving in four. In all, eight Yaks scored at least two runs.

Game 1

Yakima Valley 000 000 0 — 0 6 1
Big Bend 000 400 x — 4 8 1

McKinley and Reeves; McCashland and Ouellette.

YVCC highlights: Ashley Reeves 2-3; Courtney Cable 2-3, 2b; Whitney Biehl 1-3; Jenna Bice 1-3.

Game 2

Yakima Valley 070 0(11) — 18 21 2
Big Bend 000 00 — 0 1 2

Marbet and Reeves; Salverda, Downing (2) and Ouellette.

YVCC highlights: Cable 2-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Arlene Futch 3-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Jessie Ihly 3-4, 3-run HR, 2 runs, 4 RBI; Tori Slobig 4-5, 2 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Krysta Beach 3-4, 2 runs; Reeves 1-2, 2 runs, RBI; Biehl 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Karyssa Marbet 3-4, 2b, 2 runs, 4 RBI.

BASEBALL

CWU stung twice by Yellowjackets

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Central Washington homered in each game against Montana State Billings on Friday, but the Wildcats nonetheless dropped a GNAC doubleheader to the Yellowjackets, 6-2 and 7-5 at CWU.

David Leid produced the only runs for CWU (8-18 GNAC, 16-28 overall) in the opener with a two-run shot in the second inning. Kyle Sani belted a three-run blast in the first inning of the second game, but MSU Billings (12-14, 21-19) outscored the Wildcats 7-2 from there.

The teams meet again today for a noon doubleheader. It will be senior day for Central.

Game 1

MSU Billings 020 040 000 — 6 13 1
Central Wash. 020 000 000 — 2 7 0

Paterson, Ragasa (7) and Nelson; Button, Bushman (3), Davidson (5) and Sani.

CWU highlights: Brandon Wang 2-4, David Leid 3-4, 2b, HR, 2 RBI; Jimmy Ryerson 2b.

Game 2

MSU Billings 010 102 003 — 7 12 1
Central Wash. 301 000 001 — 5 10 4

Hutchings, Ragasa (7) and Pyrah; Lotzer, Knutson (7) and Sani.

CWU highlights: Derrick Webb 3-3; Kyle Sani 1-3, HR, 3 RBI; Glen Reser 2-4, 2b.

Dominique Williams, a 5-foot-10 guard from reigning NWAACC champion Tacoma Community College, has signed with CWU, the university announced Wednesday.

Williams, who can play both the point and shooting guard positions, is originally from Tacoma, where he prepped at Curtis. He will have two years of eligibility remaining for CWU.

Prior to joining the Wildcats, he played two seasons for former CWU assistant coach and current TCC mentor Carl Howell.

At Tacoma, Williams led the Titans to a 52-7 record over two years. And in last month’s 110-98 NWAACC title game win over Chemeketa, he totaled 36 points, five rebounds and five assists was named the tournament’s MVP.

Williams was recruited by CWU associate head coach G.E. Coleman.

Last season the Wildcats listed five former Tacoma CC players on their roster — four of whom were underclassmen.

COLLEGE FASTPITCH

Four CWU players all-academic

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Central Washington University’s fastpitch team had four players named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference team.

Seniors Natasha Wood and Lindy Baxter earned their second such awards while senior Kristina Sherriff and sophomore Maria Gau picked up their first.

The Wildcats ranked second in the conference with the four selections. Saint Martin’s had seven.

PREP BASEBALL

GREATER COLUMBIA 1B

SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN 14-13 , LYLE-WISHRAM 13-9: At Lyle, Drew Puterbaugh went 7 for 9 at the plate and drove in four runs to lift Sunnyside Christian (3-1 league, 5-8 overall) to the doubleheader sweep.

Game 1

Sunnyside Chr. 301 420 004 — 14 18 2
Lyle-Wishram 301 202 203 — 13 15 2

Hoff, M. Moore (8) and Puterbaugh; Mills, Much (5) and T. Armour.

Highlights: Drew Puterbaugh (SC) 4-6, 3 RBI; Brant Bosma (SC) 3-5, 2b, RBI; T. Armour (L) 4-4, 4 RBI.

Game 2

Sunnyside Chr. 410 44 — 13 19 3
Lyle-Wishram 122 04 — 9 7 2

B. Moore and Puterbaugh; Wolf and J. Armour.

Highlights: Puterbaugh (SC) 3-3, 2b, 3b, RBI; Brandon Broersma (SC) 2-3, 2b, 2 RBI; Jackson Haak (SC) 3-4, 2 2b, 4 RBI; Matt DeGroot (SC) 2-4; Wolf (L) 2-3, 2 3b, RBI.

PREP FASTPITCH

NORTH CENTRAL 2B

THORP-EASTON 22, MANSON 10: At Manson, Alex Houle drove in nine runs on a two-homer, 5-for-5 day for Thorp-Easton (4-6).

Thorp-Easton 340 537 — 22 19 3
Manson 240 022 — 10 5 3

Alma, Hanks (2) and Muratori; Manson NA.

Highlights: Alex Houle (TE) 5-5, 2 2b, 2 HR, 9 RBI; Mallory Alma (TE) 4-4, 2 2b, 3 RBI; Colette Muratori (TE) 2-2, 4 SB, 5 runs.

BOYS SOCCER

SCAC

MABTON 3, NACHES VALLEY 1: At Mabton, the Vikings struck twice late in the second half to pull away and improve to 9-3 in league. Mabton travels to Connell on Saturday.

First half: 1, Mabton, Daniel Cambron, 24:00; 2, NV, Logan Swain, 32:00.

Second half: 3, Mabton, Edgar Cisneros, 71:00; 4, Mabton, Crisantos Chavez, 76:00.

Saves: Unavailable.

TRACK AND FIELD

NONLEAGUE

AT CASHMERE

BOYS

Team scores: Riverside Christian 174, Cashmere 155, Wenatchee 60, Eastmont 41, Cascade 41, Brewster 26, Okanogan 19.

RC highlights — 100: 2, Nate Van Tuinen 11.0. 200: 1, Van Tuinen 22.8. 400: 1, Kirk Gartrell 54.1. 110H: 1, Jordan DeSanto 15.7. 300H: 1, DeSanto 43.6. 4×400: 1, RC 3:36.2. Jav: 1, Fernando Valencia 169-7. LJ: 1, Van Tuinen 20-7.

GIRLS

Team scores: Cashmere 207, Riverside Christian 106, Wenatchee 96, Okanogan 50, Cascade 30, Brewster 27, Eastmont 18.

RC highlights — 300H: 1, Bethany Imperial 49.1. Jav: 1, Nicole Nobbs 103-11.

PREP GOLF

CBBN 3A BOYS

Team scores: Hanford 315, Southridge 318, West Valley 335, Pasco 335.

Medalist: Tanner Martin (H) 74. At Black Rock Creek, par 72.

West Valley: Matt Mickelson 81, Sam Snipes 84, Dylan Dietrich 85, Brice Gout 85.

CBBN 3A GIRLS

Team scores: Hanford 341, Southridge 377, Eastmont 380, Kamiakin 382, West Valley 392, Kennewick 410, Pasco 419, Sunnyside inc.

Medalist: Kelsey Aiello (H) 81. At Black Rock Creek, par 72.

Local highlights: Krista Nagle (WV) 91, Kendyl Comiskey (WV) 98, Miranda Swanson (WV) 101, Taylor Boyle (WV) 102.

But the second-seeded Seawolves also had five scorers reach double digits, shooting 54 percent from the field and making 29 of 41 free throws en route to a 93-81 victory.

The defeat ended sixth-seeded CWU’s season at 15-13. Anchorage (22-5) will meet Montana State Billings for the title tonight after the fifth-seeded Yellowjackets upset top-seeded Western Washington 81-78 on Friday.

CWU won four of its last six regular-season games to reach the tournament, then knocked off third-seeded Seattle Pacific in the opener.

Jordan Coby led the Wildcats with 15 points while Jody Johnson, Toussaint Tyler and Lacy Haddock had 12 each and Roby Clyde added 11. Jordan Starr, a junior from Davis, added nine points, two assists and a steal.

But Starr, Coby and Clyde all fouled out as Anchorage shot 65 percent (15 of 23) during the second half.

CWU did a reasonably good job on Taylor Rohde, UAA’s 6-foot-9 senior who was voted the conference’s player of the year. Rohde finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, both below his season average, but Travis Thompson scored 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

Western, Anchorage and SPU, ranked 1-2-3 in last week’s NCAA Division II regional poll, are virtually assured playoff berths with the Vikings the likely host. MSU Billings will get an automatic bid if it wins today.

Central had reached the playoffs in each of the last four years and this year posted its seventh straight winning season.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Jody Johnson 3-10 5-8 12, Toussaint Tyler 3-6 5-6 12, Roby Clyde 3-5 5-6 11, Lacy Haddock 5-10 1-1 12, Jordan Coby 6-15 0-0 15, Gross 1-3 0-0 2, Starr 4-8 1-1 9, Lieser 0-0 0-2 0, Magee 0-2 3-5 3, Davis 2-5 1-2 5, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-64 21-31 81.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE — Travis Thompson 8-12 3-5 24, Lauwers 0-3 0-0 0, Taylor Rohde 6-8 7-8 19, Steve White 4-6 9-11 17, Kyle Fossman 5-8 0-0 12, Lonnie Ridgeway 4-10 3-7 12, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Demissie 0-3 3-4 3, Hearn 1-1 2-4 4, Gibcus 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 28-52 29-41 93.

Halftime — UAA 41-31. 3-point goals — CWU 6-16 (Johnson 1-4, Tyler 1-2, Haddock 1-2, Coby 3-5, Starr 0-1, Magee 0-2); UAA 8-16 (Thompson 5-7, Lauwers 0-1, Fossman 2-4, Ridgeway 1-2, Demissie 0-2). Fouled out — Clyde, Coby, Starr. Rebounds — CWU 36 (Johnson 7); UAA 37 (Demissie 9, Rohde 8). Assists — CWU 8 (Haddock 3); UAA 18 (White 7). Turnovers — CWU 15, UAA 16.

Well, the noise has started.

Central, the sixth and final seed, fired the first salvo of the tourney Wednesday with a 70-69 upset of third-seeded Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion.

The victory, which avenged regular-season losses of 27 and eight points to the Falcons, puts CWU (15-12) into a Friday semifinal at noon against second-seeded Alaska Anchorage (21-5) and conference MVP Taylor Rohde.

“I thought our guys did a good job on the defensive end, turning them over 18 times,” CWU coach Greg Sparling said. “That really got our offense going. And I thought Jordan Coby in the second half hit some huge shots that gave us a lot of confidence.”

Wednesday’s game saw the Wildcats build a 35-31 halftime lead, then endure a see-saw second half. The game included 17 ties, 12 lead changes and neither team led by more than five points.

Central took a late 68-67 lead on a 3-pointer by Jody Johnson, the former Yakima Valley Community College standout. It was Johnson’s only field goal in eight attempts.

SPU (21-7), which probably has already secured an NCAA Division II regional bid via a No. 3 regional ranking, answered with 3-ball from Scott Morse with 58 seconds left.

But on the ensuing possession Downs fouled CWU point guard Lacy Haddock in the act of shooting a 3-ball with only two seconds left on the shot clock, and Haddock made two of his three free throws.

The Falcons then went inside to 6-foot-11 junior Andy Poling, a transfer from Gonzaga, but his jumper missed and Central’s Roby Clyde rebounded.

Fouled, Clyde missed both free throws and SPU’s Jobi Wall retrieved the second miss with five seconds left.

Coby, a junior transfer from Tacoma Community College, then sealed the win by intercepting Downs’ inbounds pass.

Coby led the Wildcats with 18 points, hitting 3 of 6 3-pointers. Johnson and Haddock added 11 points apiece with Johnson making 10 of 12 free throws.

Downs led SPU with 20 points while Poling had 19.

“We were still minus-seven on the boards, but I thought our guys did a great job all night on the glass. We also got to the free throw line and converted well throughout the game (21 for 28).”

Like the Falcons, Alaska Anchorage swept its regular-season series with Central, winning 99-62 in Anchorage on Dec. 29 and 82-65 in Ellensburg on Jan. 28.

Rohde, a 6-9, 255-pound senior transfer from Arizona State, had 27 points in the first game and 31 in the second. He averaged 20.2 points and eight rebounds during the season.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Lacy Haddock 4-9 2-3 11, Jody Johnson 1-8 8-10 11, Jordan Coby 6-10 3-4 18, Clyde 2-3 2-2 6, Tyler 2-9 3-4 8, Gross 1-1 0-1 3, Starr 1-2 0-0 2, Magee 2-3 1-1 5, Davis 2-5 2-3 6, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 21-28 70.

SEATTLE PACIFIC — David Downs 3-7 12-14 20, Stockton 1-4 0-0 2, Andy Poling 8-12 3-5 19, Wall 2-4 0-0 4, Hutsen 4-9 1-1 9, Carel 0-0 1-2 1, Dorman 0-0 0-0 0, Jake Anderson 3-6 2-2 11, Morse 1-4 0-0 3, Niang 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-46 19-24 69.

Halftime — CWU 35-31. 3-point goals — CWU 7-19 (Haddock 1-4, Johnson 1-3, Coby 3-6, Tyler 1-4, Gross 1-1, Magee 0-1); SPU 6-13 (Downs 2-3, Wall 0-2, Anderson 3-5, Morse 1-3). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — CWU 26 (Clyde 6); SPU 32 (Poling 8). Assists — CWU 9 (Haddock 6); SPU 12 (Downs 3, Stockton 3). Turnovers — CWU 10, SPU 17. Total fouls — CWU 20, SPU 23.

Suffice it to say Coleman was really surprised.

He was also bitterly disappointed after the Falcons shot the proverbial lights out en route to a 76-49 pasting that might have marked the low point in Central’s season.

The Feb. 11 rematch in Seattle was much more competitive, with CWU falling 72-64, but nonetheless represented repeated frustration for Coleman and head man Greg Sparling.

“We did a much better job defensively,” Sparling said Monday night of the game he had just watched again on film. “We turned ’em over 16 times and created some opportunities for ourselves, but we didn’t take advantage of them.”

Much has happened since — most notably three wins in four games — and the sixth-seeded Wildcats (14-12) will take momentum, confidence and optimism into today’s first-round GNAC Tournament game with third-seeded SPU (21-6) at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion in Lacey.

Tipoff is set for 5:15 p.m.

“We’re taking better care of the ball and we’re taking better shots,” Sparling said. “Those are the two biggest changes. We’re making the easy pass, the simple pass, instead of trying to thread the needle through three guys. And we’re taking the ball to the rim now, or we’re taking the open 21-footer instead of the quick 26-footer.”

Improved offensive discretion has in turn fostered better defense — opponents often turned bad passes or quick shots into fast-break layups or transitional 3-pointers — not to mention improved rebounding.

In the first Seattle Pacific game, CWU was annihilated on the boards, 54-19.

A key to Central’s late season surge, however, has been sophomore point guard Lacy Haddock. En route to a team-high 16-point-per-game scoring average, Haddock has provided both explosiveness and stability to a CWU squad that beat conference champion Western Washington 89-82 in Ellensburg, and completed its run to the tournament with a 94-74 rout at fourth-seeded Western Oregon on Sunday.

In the Wildcats’ lone loss since the last SPU game, a 99-84 defeat at Saint Martin’s last Thursday, Haddock sat out with a knee injury.

“He hasn’t practiced,” Sparling said, “but he’ll play Wednesday.”

Should Central, the defending tourney champion, beat SPU it would get a semifinal matchup at noon Friday against Alaska Anchorage.

CWU has reached the NCAA Division II playoffs the last four seasons, but must win the tournament title for a fifth straight berth.

GNAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Today — No. 6 Central Washington (14-12) vs. No. 3 Seattle Pacific (21-6), 5:15 p.m.; No. 5 MSU Billings (15-11) vs. No. 4 Western Oregon (18-9), 7:30 p.m.

Friday — Central-SPU winner vs. No. 2 Alaska Anchorage (21-5), noon; MSUB-W.Ore. winner vs. No. 1 Western Washington (25-4), 2:15 p.m.

Saturday — Semifinal winners, 5:15 p.m.

Haddock, a 6-foot-1 guard from Las Vegas, leads Central in scoring at 16.0 points over 24 games and leads GNAC guards in field-goal percentage at 53.4 accuracy.

Haddock recorded a season-high 35 points against Montana State Billings last month.

Central senior Jody Johnson from Seattle earned honorable mention honors. Johnson averages 12.0 points and leads the conference with 8.2 rebounds a game.

The Wildcats (14-12) will take the No. 6 seed into the GNAC Tournament and face No. 3 Seattle Pacific on Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. at Saint Martin’s University.

GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE

Player of the year: Taylor Rohde, Alaska Anchorage.

Newcomer of the year: Antoine Proctor, Montana State Billings.

Freshman of the year: Cory Hutsen, Seattle Pacific.

Coach of the year: Brad Jackson, Western Washington.

FIRST TEAM

Taylor Rohde, Alaska Anchorage (C, 6-9, Sr.); Rory Blanche, Western Washington (F, 6-6, Sr.); Blair Wheadon, Western Oregon (G, 6-3, Sr.); Antoine Proctor, Montana State Billings (G, 6-3, Sr.); David Downs, Seattle Pacific (G, 6-2, So.); Andy Poling, Seattle Pacific (C, 6-11, Jr.).

SECOND TEAM

John Allen, Western Washington (G, 6-0, Jr.); Lacy Haddock, Central Washington (G, 6-1, So.); Travis Thompson, Alaska Anchorage (G, 6-1, So.); Justin Brown, Simon Fraser (G, 5-11, Sr.); Jeremy Green, Saint Martin’s (F, 6-6, Sr.).

Not the big dance — yet. But the Central Washington Wildcats did secure the sixth and final berth in the GNAC Tournament in convincing fashion Saturday with a 74-54 rout of Western Oregon on the Wolves’ floor.

The victory ensured that Central (8-10 GNAC, 14-12 overall), the defending tournament champion, will participate in the conference event at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey and will open at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday against third-seeded Seattle Pacific (21-6).

CWU, which has made the NCAA Division II playoffs over the past four seasons, also earned its seventh consecutive winning campaign.

“The guys answered the bell,” coach Greg Sparling said. “Lacy (starting point guard Haddock) played, and that was huge. Roby Clyde cranked up the defense at halftime, Jordan Coby hit some huge shots in the first half and in the second half it seemed like everybody — Toussaint (Tyler), Jody Johnson, Kevin Davis and all the way down the line — made shots and made plays.”

Haddock, Central’s leading scorer at 15.8 points per game, had missed Thursday night’s 99-84 loss at Saint Martin’s in which CWU missed a chance to clinch the tourney bid.

But he played through a knee injury Saturday, scoring 21 points as the Wildcats dealt fourth-seeded Western Oregon (11-7, 18-9) its worst home loss of the season.

Coby had 17 points, Davis and Johnson scored 16 apiece and Tyler added 15 for CWU, which blew the game open by shooting 59 percent (19 for 32) during the second half and outrebounding the Wolves 46-30 for the game.

At Saint Martin’s, the Wildcats made only 2 of 14 3-pointers and were 18 of 35 from the foul line. This time they cashed 9 of 16 from long distance, with Haddock and Coby going a combined 5 for 8, and made 21 of 31 free throws.

“This was a great win and a big win,” Sparling said. “The guys played hard and made a lot of hustle plays, but the big thing is they just went out and had fun. They did a great job against a very good team on its floor on senior night.”

Kyle Long scored 19 points and Blair Wheadon had 18 for the Wolves, who beat Central 77-75 in Ellensburg on Dec. 1.

“We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now, and that starts with our point guard,” Sparling said. “We’ve had our ups and downs all year long, but we’re starting to take off at the right time.”

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Jody Johnson 5-13 5-8 16, Toussaint Tyler 4-8 4-4 15, Clyde 3-5 0-4 6, Lacy Haddock 7-12 5-7 21, Jordan Coby 6-9 2-2 17, Gross 0-2 0-0 0, Starr 0-1 0-0 0, Lieser 0-0 0-0 0, Magee 1-3 1-2 3, Kevin Davis 6-7 4-4 16, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-60 21-31 94.

WESTERN OREGON — Kyle Long 7-16 5-5 19, Gehring 1-2 0-0 2, Kolton Nelson 5-8 0-0 12, Blair Wheadon 5-14 6-8 18, Freelander 2-10 1-2 5, Brian McGill 3-4 4-6 10, Mahuma 0-0 0-0 0, Troxel 0-4 0-2 0, Veal 0-2 0-1 0, White 3-4 2-2 8. Totals 26-64 18-26 74.

Halftime — CWU 37-31. 3-point goals — CWU 9-16 (Johnson 1-1, Tyler 3-5, Haddock 2-4, Coby 3-4, Gross 0-1, Magee 0-1); WOU 4-18 (Long 0-3, Nelson 2-3, Wheadon 2-7, Freelander 0-3, McGill 0-1, Troxel 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — CWU 46 (Johnson 14, Clyde 10); WOU 30 (White 7). Assists — CWU 20 (Tyler 5); WOU 13 (Freelander 6). Turnovers — CWU 17, WOU 13. Total fouls — CWU 21, WOU 23.

The Wildcats, coming off a rousing home upset of conference champion Western Washington, were unable to overcome the absence of scoring leader Lacy Haddock plus 17 missed free throws in a 99-84 loss to Saint Martin’s in Marcus Pavilion.

The defeat, coupled with Northwest Nazarene’s loss at Western Oregon, left CWU (7-10 GNAC, 13-12 overall) with a one-game lead on the Crusaders for the sixth and final tournament berth. Each team has one game left — Central visits Western Oregon and NNU plays at Saint Martin’s — on Saturday.

Haddock, CWU’s starting point guard and a 15.8 point-per-game scorer, injured his knee during Saturday night’s win over Western Washington, according to head coach Greg Sparling. The problem was initially thought to be a bruise, but Wildcats training personel later diagnosed the injury as pull or tear of the meniscus.

His status is described as day to day.

“We definitely missed him tonight,” Sparling said. “But we also missed too many shots to have even had a chance to win this game. Going 2 for 14 from the 3-(point) line is not going to get it done, and a handful of the free throws we missed were the front ends of one-and-ones.”

The Saints (5-12, 9-17), who lost at Central 76-61 on Dec. 3, shot 59.6 percent from the field, getting 34 points and 16 rebounds from Jeremy Green and 22 points from Roger O’Neill.

Kevin Davis came off the bench to score 27 points for CWU, hitting 12 of 16 shots, while fellow reserve Brandon Magee had 13 points. But Roby Clyde was the lone Central starter to score in double figures with 11 points.

The Wildcats were 10 for 19 from the foul line in the first half and 8 for 16 in the second.

Saturday’s game at Western Oregon (11-6, 18-8) is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Central lost to the Wolves 77-75 in Ellensburg on Dec. 1.

“We only have so many lives,” Sparling said, “so it’s time for us to step up and take care of our business at Western Oregon and not worry about what happens at Saint Martin’s later on Saturday night.”

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Roby Clyde 4-6 3-8 11, Coby 2-8 1-1 6, Tyler 2-9 2-4 6, Johnson 2-5 1-2 5, Starr 1-5 2-2 4, Kevin Davis 12-16 3-5 27, Brandon Magee 4-15 5-10 13, Lieser 3-3 1-3 7, Gross 2-3 0-0 5, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-70 18-35 84.

SAINT MARTIN’S — Jeremy Green 12-17 9-11 34, Roger O’Neill 7-11 7-8 22, Brok Pendleton 6-10 4-6 16, Brady Bomber 1-3 9-10 12, Votaw 2-4 0-0 6, Norman 2-3 1-2 5, Bond 1-1 0-0 3, Stoney 0-0 1-2 1, Dodson 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 31-52 31-39 99.

Halftime — SMU 48-41. 3-point goals — CWU 2-14 (Coby 1-5, Tyler 0-2, Magee 0-6, Gross 1-1); SMU 6-12 (Green 1-4, O’Neill 1-1, Bomber 1-2, Votaw 2-4, Bond 1-1). Fouled out — Tyler, Gross. Rebounds — CWU 37 (Magee 8); SMU 38 (Green 16). Assists — CWU 12 (Gross 4); SMU 21 (Votaw 7). Turnovers — CWU 11, SMU 13. Total fouls — CWU 25, SMU 24.

This year? Not so much.

Seniors Jody Johnson and Roby Clyde have taken their lumps with the rest of a CWU squad that has struggled, especially in key moments of close games.

Saturday night in Nicholson Pavilion, however, all was forgotten.

With Clyde playing one of his best games of the season and Johnson making four crucial free throws in the final half minute, the Wildcats celebrated senior night by upsetting cross-mountain rival Western Washington 89-82 to snap the Vikings’ 10-game winning streak and greatly enhance their own GNAC playoff hopes.

The win enabled CWU to maintain its one-game lead over Northwest Nazarene in the race for the sixth and final conference tournament berth. Each team has two games left, and Central (7-9 GNAC, 13-11 overall) must win the bid outright since the Crusaders own the first tiebreaker, having swept the season series.

The 10th-ranked Vikings (14-2, 23-4), still lead the conference race, but might have seen their No. 1 NCAA Division II West Region ranking jeopardized.

“This was huge — it’s hard to even describe how good this feels,” Central coach Greg Sparling said afterward. “Now we really control our own destiny.”

CWU visits Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday, having beaten the Saints while losing to the Wolves at home earlier this season.

“I like our chances,” said Sparling, whose 26-4 squad claimed the conference’s regular-season and tournament titles last year. “These guys will be focused, and we’re playing much better now than when we played both of those teams earlier.”

Point guard Lacy Haddock led Central with 21 points. Kevin Davis and Brandon Magee came off the bench for 17 and 14 points, respectively, with Davis also grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking two shots.

Clyde, utilizing his left-handed jump hook, helped establish the Wildcats inside by making 6 of 9 field goals for 12 points while also grabbing six boards. And Johnson, the former Yakima Valley Community College standout, was money from the foul line when it mattered most.

“This is such a great feeling and such a great win for this team,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about being in a position like this, to win a game at the end, and thank God I was able to knock them down.”

Western, which brought a .497 field goal percentage into the game, including .398 from 3-point range, led 46-37 with 18:01 left to play on a 3-pointer by John Allen.

But CWU stormed back, with Magee scoring 12 points during a pivotal 1:44 stretch that saw the Wildcats snap a 57-all tie and assume a 67-61 advantage.

Western regrouped to lead as late as the 4:07 mark, but a free throw and following layup by Haddock put Central in front for keeps. Johnson’s free throws, the first two coming with 31.8 seconds left and the final pair at 24.6, sealed it.

The Wildcats, attacking the basket against WWU’s man-to-man defense, made 30 of 38 free throws compared with 11 of 18 for the Viks, who shot only 44.9 percent from the field.

Western, which beat Central 99-86 in Bellingham on Jan. 18, was seeking to become the first team to post an unbeaten GNAC road record.

WESTERN WASHINGTON — Rory Blanche 9-12 2-5 22, Zach Henifin 3-6 5-7 12, Mitchell 2-10 0-2 5, Woodworth 3-9 2-2 9, John Allen 6-13 0-0 14, Thorpe 0-2 0-0 0, Wilkins 4-10 0-0 9, Jones 3-6 2-2 9, Severson 0-0 0-0 0, Young 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-69 11-18 82.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Johnson 1-5 6-6 8, Roby Clyde 6-9 0-1 12, Nelson 0-1 0-0 0, Lacy Haddock 6-11 9-12 21, Tyler 0-1 2-2 2, Gross 3-4 0-0 7, Starr 1-1 0-1 2, Coby 1-3 4-6 6, Brandon Magee 3-6 8-9 14, Kevin Davis 8-14 1-1 17. Totals 29-55 30-38 89.

Halftime — WWU 39-35. 3-point goals — WWU 9-23 (Blanche 2-2, Henifin 1-1, Mitchell 1-5, Woodworth 1-4, Allen 2-5, Thorpe 0-1, Wilkins 1-3, Jones 1-2); CWU 1-6 (Clyde 0-1, Haddock 0-1, Gross 1-2, Coby 0-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — WWU 36 (Blanche 10); CWU 36 (Davis 10). Assists — WWU 10 (Henifin 4); CWU 13 (Tyler 3, Gross 4). Turnovers — WWU 15, CWU 15. Total fouls — WWU 24, CWU 14.

Brandon Magee and Jordan Coby each scored 15 points, while former Yakima Valley standout Jody Johnson scored 10 for CWU (12-11, 6-9 GNAC).

Twelve of Haddock’s points came from beyond the 3-point arc, where the Wildcats were 11 for 20 as a team.

Johnson led the Wildcats with 15 rebounds to complete his double-double. CWU outrebounded Simon Fraser 39-28.

Justin Brown scored 24 points to lead Simon Fraser (8-15, 3-12 GNAC). Jordan Sergent, Connor Lewis and John Bantock each scored 14 points for the Clan.

“They kept trying to take the air out of the ball and run the shot clock down inside 15 seconds,” CWU coach Greg Sparling said. “Our guys struggled with that for awhile, and also they passed up some open threes. The second half we shot it with a lot more confidence and played much better.”

Central Washington plays its final scheduled home game of the season on Saturday at 7 p.m. against 10th-ranked Western Washington.

SIMON FRASER — Justin Brown 5-16 13-16 24; Jordan Sergent 6-12 1-2 14; Connor Lewis 5-10 2-2 14; John Bantock 5-9 2-2 14; Zack Frehlick 4-10 0-0 10; Nikolay Georgiev 1-2 0-0 3; Chris Evans 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-59 18-22 79.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Lacy Haddock 11-15 0-0 26; Brandon Magee 6-9 2-3 15; Jordan Coby 6-11 0-0 15; Jody Johnson 3-12 4-5 10; Tyler 2-4 2-2 7; Gross 2-3 0-0 6; Clyde 3-7 0-0 6; Starr 2-5 1-1 5; Lieser 1-1 0-0 2; Nelson 0-1 0-0 0; Davis 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 36-69 9-11 92.

Halftime—Central Washington 28, Simon Fraser 25. 3-point goals—Simon Fraser 9-22 (Lewis 2-5; Bantock 2-5; Frehlick 2-4; Georgiev 1-2; Brown 1-4; Sergent 1-2), Central Washington 11-20 (Haddock 4-7; Coby 3-5; Gross 2-2; Magee 1-3; Tyler 1-2; Starr 0-1). Rebounds—Simon Fraser 28 (Sergent 9), Central Washington 39 (Johnson 15). Assists—Simon Fraser 12 (Lewis 4), Central Washington 17 (Starr 7). Total fouls—Simon Fraser 13, Central Washington 16. A—518. T—1:41.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Wildcats lose in Canada

BURNABY, British Columbia — Despite getting 18 points apiece from Alex Dunn and Jessica VanDyke, the Central Washington women fell to Simon Fraser 70-66 on Thursday night at West Gymnasium.

Chelsea Reist scored a game-high 19 points to lead Simon Fraser (15-8, 10-5 GNAC).

Dunn led Central Washington (8-15, 4-11) in rebounds (8) and assists (5).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Alex Dunn 6-14 4-6 18; Jessica VanDyke 5-11 4-5 18; Sophie Russell 5-18 1-1 12; Courtney Johnson 1-3 3-4 6; Albrecht 3-9 0-0 6; Moser 1-7 2-3 4; Valdez 1-2 0-0 2; Martinez 0-0 0-0 0; Jacobson 0-0 0-0 0; Rethwill 0-0 0-0 0; Burke 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-65 14-19 66.

SIMON FRASER — Chelsea Reist 8-15 3-3 19; Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe 6-12 3-5 15; Kristina Collins 4-11 2-2 12; Carla Wyman 2-8 7-9 11; Chambers 2-9 3-4 7; Langmead 1-1 0-0 2; Lowen 1-2 0-0 2; Van Laare 1-7 0-0 2; Carolsfeld 0-0 0-0 0; Petit 0-1 0-0 0; Binns 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-66 18-23 70.

Halftime—Simon Fraser 35, Central Washington 27. 3-point goals—Central Washington 8-18 (VanDyke 4-7; Dunn 2-2; Johnson 1-2; Russell 1-7), Simon Fraser 2-14 (Collins 2-6; Chambers 0-4; Lowen 0-1; Van Laare 0-3). Rebounds—Central Washington 39 (Dunn 8), Simon Fraser 49 (Raincock-Ekunwe 13). Assists—Central Washington 12 (Dunn 5), Simon Fraser 16 (Wyman 5; Collins 5). Total fouls—Central Washington 19, Simon Fraser 15. Att—125.

Russell and VanDyke were both 5 of 11 from 3-point range en route to team-best totals of 19 and 18 points, respectively, as Central (7-14, 4-10) beat Seattle Pacific (15-8, 9-6) for just the second time in the past 21 meetings.

Russell and VanDyke were part of a balanced attack that also had Alex Dunn (16 points) and Stacy Albrecht (12) reach double figures.

“We really came together as a team,” said first-year Central coach Shawn Nelson, who enjoyed the best victory in his young Wildcat tenure. “Everybody wearing a Wildcat uniform tonight contributed, especially during the final five minutes when we could have packed it in.

“We stepped it up and took it to a level where we should be able to be at on a consistent basis.”

Central overcame a 13-point first-half deficit, and played with poise late in the game. The Wildcats never trailed in the final 5 minutes, although the game was tied twice in that span, and they opened a seven-point lead three times, including twice in the final minute.

Katie Benson led Seattle Pacific with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

SEATTLE PACIFIC — Benson 9-14 4-5 22, Murray 7-8 0-0 14, Sims 5-12 2-2 12, Kingma 2-8 4-5 9, Gorman 3-6 3-4 9, Harazin 3-8 0-0 7, Ohlsen 1-5 0-0 2, Butler 0-1 0-0 0, Reimer 0-1 0-0 0, Callen 0-5 0-0 0, Teng 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-68 13-16 75.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Russell 6-16 2-4 19, VanDyke 6-13 1-2 18, Dunn 5-14 6-7 16, Albrecht 5-9 2-4 12, Johnson 2-4 2-2 7, Valdez 2-3 1-2 6, Moser 1-3 0-1 2, Fettig 0-0 0-0 0, Burke 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 27-65 14-22 80.

Halftime—SPU 38, CWU 37. 3-Point goals—SPU 2-20 (Harazin 1-4, Kingma 1-5, Sims 0-3, Gorman 0-2, Ohlsen 0-1, Callen 0-4, Benson 0-1), CWU 12-30 (VanDyke 5-11, Russell 5-11, Valdez 1-2, Johnson 1-1, Burke 0-3, Dunn 0-2). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—SPU 37 (Benson 10), CWU 42 (Dunn 8). Assists—SPU 16 (Gorman 5), CWU 16 (Dunn 6). Total fouls—SPU 19, CWU 17.

Yaks host CBC today

Yakima, Wash. — Yakima Valley will host Columbia Basin for a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader today.

The women are scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m. in Sherar Gym with the men to follow at 4.

The Yaks and Hawks are battling for the East Region women’s lead, with NWAACC No. 1-ranked CBC coming in at 8-1 in the region and 20-2 overall. Fourth-ranked YVCC, 7-2 and 17-5, dealt CBC its lone region loss in Pasco earlier this season.

Yakima Valley’s men (6-3, 13-8) are attempting to secure at least the region’s fourth spot for a final NWAACC Tournament berth. CBC is fifth at 3-6 and 7-13.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Central falls at Seattle Pacific

SEATTLE — Shooting only 36 percent from the field, including 3 of 16 from 3-point range, Central Washington dropped a 72-64 decision to Seattle Pacific in GNAC action Saturday night in Royal Brougham Pavilion.

The defeat left CWU 5-9 in the conference and 11-11 overall. The Wildcats are tied for sixth in the GNAC with four games remaining.

The top six teams advance to the GNAC tournament.

Point guard Lacy Haddock scored 18 points for the Wildcats, Jody Johnson had 15 and Roby Clyde 13, but Central was unable to match the 1-2 SPU punch of David Downs and Andy Poling.

Downs led the Falcons (11-4, 19-5) with 23 points while Poling had 20. They were a combined 18 for 21 from the foul line as SPU shot a collective 27 for 40 from the stripe compared with CWU’s 15 for 21.

Central hosts Simon Fraser on Thursday night and conference-leading Western Washington on Saturday night.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Jody Johnson 5-10 4-4 15, Tyler 1-9 0-0 2, Roby Clyde 5-11 3-4 13, Lacy Haddock 8-19 1-1 18, Coby 1-4 0-0 3, Gross 0-0 0-0 0, Starr 1-1 0-0 2, Lieser 0-1 0-0 0, Magee 1-5 6-9 8, Davis 1-3 0-0 2, Nelson 0-1 1-3 1. Totals 23-64 15-21 64.

SEATTLE PACIFIC — Wall 1-7 4-4 7, Hutsen 2-6 2-8 6, Andy Poling 6-10 8-11 20, David Downs 5-10 10-10 23, Stockton 2-4 1-3 5, Carel 0-0 0-1 0, Dorman 1-4 0-0 2, Anderson 1-2 0-0 3, Morse 0-2 0-0 0, Niang 2-3 2-3 6. Totals 20-48 27-40 72.

Halftime — SPU 38-31. 3-point goals — CWU 3-16 (Johnson 1-1, Tyler 0-4, Clyde 0-1, Haddock 1-4, Coby 1-3, Magee 0-3); SPU 5-16 (Wall 1-5, Downs 3-4, Stockton 0-1, Dorman 0-2, Anderson 1-2, Morse 0-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — CWU 35 (Johnson 7); SPU 47 (Poling 10). Assists — CWU 6 (Tyler 2, Haddock 2); SPU 10 (Wall 4). Turnovers — CWU 11, SPU 16. Total fouls — CWU 29, SPU 19.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

CWU wins first game of season

SEASIDE, Calif. — Brothers Brett and Kasey Bielec were both 3 for 5 in the opening game of a doubleheader, with each collecting an RBI single in a four-run ninth that helped Central Washington beat California State Monterey Bay 8-7 in a college baseball game Saturday.

Cal State Monterey Bay came back to earn the split with a 6-1 victory in game two.

In the opener, starter Davis Engel, an Ellensburg High graduate, threw six innings, allowing four runs. Central (1-4) broke a 4-4 tie with that four-run ninth.

Game 1

Central 101 010 104 — 8 13 1
Cal St. Mont. Bay 010 000 303 — 7 14 1

Engel, Jones (7), Davidson (7), Bushman (9) and Sani; Owen, Crose (4), Holland (8), Grotz (9) and White, Olson (6). W—Davidson (1-0). L—Holland (0-1).

HITS—CWU, Brett Bielec 3-5 (2b), Kasey Bielec 3-5, Kyle Sani 2-5, Derrick Webb 2-5, Brady Kincannon 1-3, Ethan Sterkel 1-5, Chris Hashimoto 1-5 (2b). CSUMB, David Garcia 3-4, Matt Urakami 2-3, James Merjano 2-4, Tommy George 2-5, Jared DeCastro 2-5, Jeff Phillips 1-1, Danny Nelson 1-4, Brian Haggett 1-4.

RBI—CWU, K. Bielec 2, Hashimoto 2, B. Bielec, Sterkel, Webb. CSUMB, George 2, Phillips 2, Merjano, George, DeCastro.

Game 2

Central 000 010 0 — 1 8 0
Cal St. Mont. Bay 003 012 x — 6 6 0

Cruzen, Jones (5), Davidson (6) and Leid, Swartz (6); Medlinger, Noack (6), Thiel (7) and Valletta. W—Medlinger (2-0). L—Cruzen (0-1). HR—CWU, Jimmy Reyerson (1).

HITS—CWU, Glen Reser 2-3 (2b), Derrick Webb 2-3, David Leid 1-2, Kasey Bielec 1-3, Jimmy Ryerson 1-4, Ethan Sterkel 1-4. CSUMB, James Merjano 2-4, Garrett Gemgnani 1-1, Brian Haggett 1-2, Jared DeCastro 1-2, Danny Nelson 1-3.

RBI—CWU, Ryerson. CSUMB, Merjano 2, Nelson, Haggett, Gemgnani.

Jody Johnson and Lacy Haddock had 16 points each and Toussaint Tyler and Jordan Coby had 15 apiece as the Wildcats, who trailed 46-42 at halftime, picked up a big road win against a team above them in the conference standings.

“We shot the ball a lot better in the second half and really cleaned up the rebounding,” said Central coach Greg Sparling.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Jody Johnson 4-7 7-9 16; Lacy Haddock 6-10 3-6 16; Toussaint Tyler 4-6 5-9 15; Jordan Coby 5-10 2-4 15; Brandon Magee 5-9 3-4 13; Roby Clyde 5-6 3-3 13; Davis 3-7 1-2 7; Lieser 1-4 0-0 2; Starr 1- 2 0-0 2; Nelson 0-0 0-0 0; Gross 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 34-62 24-37 99.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS — Antoine Proctor 7-18 15-16 30; Taylor Stevens 4-7 7-7 17; Robert Mayes 4-6 5-6 13; Myaer 3-6 0-0 7; Richards 3-5 0-0 6; Arnold 1-7 4-6 6; Trabing 2-2 0-0 6; Cusworth 1-1 0-0 2; Henning 0-1 2-2 2; Hook 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-53 33-37 89.

Halftime: MS Billings 46, Central Washington 42.

3-point goals: Central Washington 7-14 (Coby 3-7; Tyler 2-3; Johnson 1-1; Haddock 1-1; Gross 0-1; Magee 0-1), MS Billings 6-21 (Trabing 2-2; Stevens 2-5; Myaer 1-4; Proctor 1-6; Arnold 0-4). Fouled out: Clyde, Tyler. Rebounds: Central Washington 34 (Davis 8), MS Billings 30 (Mayes 13). Assists: Central Washington 11 (Haddock 6), MS Billings 17 (Myaer 6). Total fouls: Central Washington 32, MS Billings 25. Technical fouls: MS Billings team.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Montana St. Billings tops CWU

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Bobbi Knudsen scored a career-high 25 points and added five assists, and Montana State Billings topped cold-shooting Central Washington University 61-52 in a GNAC women’s basketball game Thursday at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Yellowjackets (17-8, 9-5) didn’t shoot particularly well themselves at 37.7 percent (23 of 61) but Central (6-14, 3-10) was even worse at 32.2 percent (20 of 62).

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS — Knudsen 10-23 2-2 25, Olson 4-8 1-2 10, Peoples 3-5 2-2 10, Tolman 2-5 1-1 6, DePuydt 2-3 1-2 5, Grimsrud 1-3 0-0 3, Goggins 1-4 0-0 2, Reed 0-1 0-0 0, Stanhope 0-8 0-2 0, Emerson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 7-11 61.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Russell 6-16 0-0 17, Albrecht 5-9 1-2 11, VanDyke 3-10 0-0 7, Dunn 2-11 1-2 5, Valdez 2-5 1-2 5, Burke 1-4 0-0 3, Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Moser 0-2 2-2 2, Fettig 0-0 0-0 0, Martinez 0-0 0-2 0, Rethwill 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 20-62 5-10 52.

Halftime—Montana State Billings 33, Central Washington 24. 3-Point goals—MSUB 8-22 (Knudsen 3-8, Peoples 2-4, Tolman 1-3, Grimsrud 1-2, Olson 1-2, Stanhope 0-3), Central 7-24 (Russell 5-9, VanDyke 1-6, Burke 1-2, Valdez 0-3, Johnson 0-1, Rethwill 0-2, Dunn 0-1). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—MSUB 40 (Olson 8), Central 43 (Albrecht 10). Assists—MSUB 15 (Tolman 5, Knudsen 5), Central 11 (Valdez 4). Total fouls—MSUB 16, Central 15. A—176.

BASEBALL

Central loses second straight

TURLOCK, Calif. — Justin Manci hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs, and Eli Davis and Andy Yingling had two RBI apiece in leading Cal State Stanislaus to a 9-4 victory over Central Washington (0-2) in a college baseball game Thursday.

Central Washington 000 001 003 — 4 5 1

Cal St. Stanislaus 103 014 00x — 9 9 4

Long, Davidson (5), Knutson (6), Bushman (8) and Swartz; Lemon, Maltese (7), Baisdon (9) and Turay, Arellano (7). W—Lemon (1-0). L—Long (0-1). HR—CSUS, Justin Manci (2).

RBI—CWU, Matt Herbert. CSUS, Justin Manci 3, Eli Davis 2, Andy Yingling 2, Joe Medeiros, Colt McLaughlin.

It was a costly loss for the Wildcats (4-8 GNAC, 10-10 overall) because it dropped them out of a tie for sixth place. The top six teams qualify for the GNAC tournament.

Central trailed until midway through the first half, when the Wildcats went on a 12-4 run capped by Kevin Davis’ dunk.

Central led 38-33 at the half and would extend its lead to seven points with about 12 minutes remaining.

Northwest Nazarene rallied to take the lead with just under three minutes remaining and took the lead for good with 1:05 to play.

“We’ve got to figure out how to finish games out,” Central coach Greg Sparling said, adding that the Wildcats just couldn’t convert good scoring chances late in the game.

“We had a handful of in-and-outs,” he said. “We had decent looks.”

Lacy Haddock led five Wildcats in double figures with 14 points. Also reaching double figures for CWU were Jody Johnson (13 points), Jordan Coby (12), Toussaint Tyler (11) and Kevin Davis (11).

JB Pillard scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half for Northwest Nazarene (5-7, 11-9).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Lacy Haddock 6-7 1-1 14; Jody Johnson 4-12 5-6 13; Jordan Coby 3-8 4-4 12; Toussaint Tyler 2-11 6-6 11; Kevin Davis 5-9 1-2 11; Clyde 2-5 3-6 7; Magee 1-1 0-0 2; Starr 0-1 0-0 0; Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 20-25 70.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE — JB Pillard 9-11 2-2 21; Anthony Golden 5-13 2-2 15; Michal Kurimsky 5-8 5-5 15; Jonathan Hawkins 3-10 7-9 13; Nicholes 1-4 4-4 6; Maxwell 1-4 0-0 3; Moilanen 1-3 0-0 2; Shula 0-1 0-0 0; Hering 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-54 20-22 75.

Halftime—Central Washington 38, Northwest Nazarene 33. 3-point goals—Central Washington 4-11 (Coby 2-5; Tyler 1-4; Haddock 1-1; Starr 0-1), Northwest Nazarene 5-16 (Golden 3-7; Maxwell 1-4; Pillard 1-1; Moilanen 0-2; Hawkins 0-2). Fouled out—Moilanen. Rebounds—Central Washington 34 (Johnson 12), Northwest Nazarene 28 (Golden 6). Assists—Central Washington 6 (Haddock 3), Northwest Nazarene 10 (Nicholes 3; Hawkins 3). Total fouls—Central Washington 17, Northwest Nazarene 17. Technical fouls—None. Att—562.

Big Bend runs past YVCC men

MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Yakima Valley faded after a strong first half, while Big Bend, behind the tandem of Blake Skidmore and Antonio Snow helped Big Bend, got hot and rolled to an 80-66 victory in an NWAACC East Region men’s basketball game Saturday.

The loss dropped YVCC (6-2, 13-7) into a second-place tie in the region with Walla Walla, which defeated Treasure Valley 89-76 Saturday. Both are a half-game behind Spokane (6-1 region), which beat Wenatchee Valley 78-61 Saturday.

Yakima Valley led 38-36 at the half, helped by 12-of-24 shooting, but the Yaks cooled off to just 36 percent (8 of 22) after halftime, while Big Bend converted on 55.6 percent of its second-half shots (15 of 27) in outscoring the Yaks 44-28.

Skidmore and Snow went for 24 and 22 points, respectively, including a combined 13 of 15 from the foul line.

Amir Royal led Yakima Valley with 19 points and six rebounds, while DeShawn Battle added 12 points and six rebounds, and Cameron Jensen scored 10 points.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Diggs 1-4 0-0 2, Battle 3-5 6-8 12, Royal 5-12 8-8 19, Martinez 1-2 1-2 3, Bagby 4-5 1-4 9, Molina 2-3 2-2 7, Henson 1-2 0-0 3, Kemsem 3-6 2-2 10, Romero 0-1 0-0 0, Flowers 0-6 1-2 1. Totals 20-46 21-28 66.

BIG BEND — James 1-1 3-3 5, Loera 2-9 1-4 5, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Bruneel 0-0 2-2 2, Groth 2-3 3-5 8, Skidmore 8-18 7-9 24, Green 1-3 0-0 2, Snow 8-14 6-6 22, Page 1-1 0-0 2, Nield 4-8 1-1 10. Totals 27-57 23-30 80.

Halftime—YVCC 38, BBCC 36. 3-Point goals—YVCC 5-15 (Jensen 2-3, Molina 1-1, Henton 1-2, Royal 1-6, Martinez 0-1, Flowers 0-2), BBCC 3-17 (Groth 1-2, Skidmore 1-2, Nield 1-5, Snow 0-2, Loera 0-6). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—YVCC 34 (Battle 6, Royal 6), BBCC 30 (Loera 6, Skidmore 6). Assists—YVCC 9 (Royal 2), BBCC 12 (Skidmore 3). Total fouls—YVCC 21, BBCC 19.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Yaks avenge Big Bend loss

MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Sam Zapien and Jaimi Cox combined to score 35 points Saturday as Yakima Valley beat Big Bend 67-49 in East Region play to keep the Yaks tied for first place.

The victory improved YVCC to 7-1 in region action and 17-4 overall, maintaining its first-place tie with Columbia Basin.

It also avenged a 65-64 loss to the Vikings (4-5, 14-8) in Sherar Gym on Jan. 11.

The Yaks won without substantial production from either of their top scorers, Brittney Newcomb and Simone Jordan, who combined for only 10 points on 3-for-18 shooting.

But Zapien hit 8 of 11 shots and totaled 18 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds, and Cox was also 8 for 11 en route to 17 points.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Newcomb 0-7 3-4 3, Jaimi Cox 8-11 1-2 17, K. Gonzales 1-4 2-2 5, Jordan 3-11 1-2 7, Sam Zapien 8-11 2-3 18, A. Gonzales 0-0 2-2 2, Brewster 1-5 0-0 2, Swetzof 4-5 0-0 9, Weaver 0-0 0-0 0, Lekson 2-5 0-0 4, Ferguson 0-0 0-0 0, Smythe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 11-15 67.

BIG BEND — Lopez 2-5 0-0 4, Kelsey 2-8 2-2 7, Scott 0-2 0-0 0, Alli Nielsen 6-12 2-2 14, Nielsen 0-1 2-2 2, Morris 2-3 1-2 6, Zollinger 4-5 1-2 9, Nield 0-2 0-0 0, Tews 0-4 0-0 0, Martinez 1-3 0-2 2, Smith 2-4 0-1 5, Lopez 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-49 8-13 49.

Halftime — YVCC 31-19. 3-point goals — YVCC 2-10 (Newcomb 0-3, Swetzof 1-2, K. Gonzales 1-4, Lekson 0-1); BBCC 3-12 (Morrris 1-1, Kelsey 1-5, Scott 0-1, Nielsen 0-1, Tews 0-2, Smith 1-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — YVCC 34 (Zapien 7); BBCC 34 (Zollinger 5). Assists — YVCC 11 (Newcomb 5); BBCC 11

Russell scores 26 in losing effort

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Sophie Russell scored 26 points to become the sixth player in Central Washington women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 for her career, but the Wildcats fell to Northwest Nazarene 58-54 in GNAC play Saturday in Nicholson Pavilion.

Russell, the only Wildcat in double figures, hit 9 of 22 field goal attempts including 5 of 12 from 3-point range. She also grabbed nine rebounds.

CWU (3-9 GNAC, 6-13 overall) led 28-27 at halftime and was tied 39-39 with 12:03 to play, but the Crusaders (7-5, 13-7) scored seven unanswered points and the Wildcats got no closer than three thereafter.

Megan Hingston led NNU with 19 points.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE — Megan Hingston 5-9 9-10 19, Chelsie Luke 6-12 1-1 16, Briaunna King 6-12 1-1 13, Dzhdzhiyeshvili 2-12 1-2 5, Smith 0-4 0-0 0, Adams 2-5 1-2 5, Skokankova 0-0 0-0 0, Warwick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-55 13-16 58.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — VanDyke 2-7 2-2 8, Johnson 2-5 1-2 6, Albrecht 2-4 0-2 4, Dunn 2-8 0-0 4, Sophie Russell 9-22 3-4 26, Burke 0-1 0-0 0, Valdez 0-1 0-0 0, Fettig 2-4 2-3 6, Moser 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-53 8-13 54.

Halftime — CWU 28-27. 3-point goals — NNU 3-9 (Luke 3-5, Smith 0-1, Adams 0-3); CWU 8-20 (VanDyke 2-5, Johnson 1-2, Russell 5-12, Burke 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — NNU 27 (King 10); CWU 44 (Albrecht 10). Assists — NNU 10 (Smith 4); CWU 12 (VanDyke 4). Turnovers — NNU 11, CWU 20. Total fouls — NNU 19, CWU 14.

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD

CWU’S Boyes 2nd at Vandal Indoor

MOSCOW, Idaho — Central Washington’s Brennan Boyes finished second in the high jump with a provisional national qualifying time of 6 feet, 81/4 inch during the Vandal Indoor on Friday.

Boyes’ mark equaled the No. 3 mark in GNAC history.

His teammate Bryan Mack had two second-place finishes — in the triple jump (45-93/4) and 60 (6.89).

In women’s competition, CWU’s Katharine Lotze placed second in the triple jump (38-41/4) while Kati Davis was third in the pole vault (11-113/4).

The Yaks’ fourth straight win improved them to 5-1 in the region and 15-4 overall.

YVCC shot only 32 percent (23 for 72) and was outrebounded 46-41. But the Yaks forced 33 turnovers while committing only 14, grabbed 24 offensive boards and allowed the Chukars (1-5, 3-14) to shoot only 36 percent.

Newcomb had a game-high 17 points, hitting 4 of 9 shots from 3-point range, while Jordan had 13 points and five steals.

Sam Zapien added 10 points while Hannah Lekson came off the bench for 10 points and three steals.

Lacey Nauman scored 11 points to lead the Chukars.

Yakima Valley’s women and men continue region play at home Wednesday night (women at 6 p.m., men at 8) against Wenatchee Valley.

TREASURE VALLEY — Kelly 1-4 0-0 3, Johnson 3-7 0-0 6, Mooney 0-3 1-2 1, Schram 3-6 3-4 9, Lacey Nauman 5-8 0-0 11, Pack 1-4 0-0 2, Nielson 1-4 1-2 3, Hemenway 0-3 0-0 0, Alexander 1-3 0-0 2, Morcom 1-2 0-0 2, Wokersien 0-1 0-0 0, Wood 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 16-45 5-9 39.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Brittney Newcomb 6-17 1-2 17, Cox 0-0 0-0 0, Gonzales 0-5 0-0 0, Simone Jordan 4-9 4-4 13, Sam Zapien 2-8 6-8 10, Brewster 2-4 0-2 4, Swetzof 3-7 2-3 8, Weaver 2-4 0-0 4, Hannah Lekson 4-8 1-3 10, Ferguson 0-7 1-2 1, Smythe 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-72 15-24 67.

Halftime — YVCC 36-20. 3-point goals — TVCC 2-8 (Kelly 1-3, Johnson 0-3, Hemenway 0-1, Nauman 1-1); YVCC 6-20 (Newcomb 4-9, Swetzof 0-2, Gonzales 0-1, Weaver 0-2, Lekson 1-3, Jordan 1-2, Zapien 0-1). Fouled out — Johnson. Rebounds — TVCC 46 (Nielson 10); YVCC 41 (Brewster 4, Ferguson 4, Zapien 4). Turnovers — TVCC 33, YVCC 14. Total fouls — TVCC 20, YVCC 14.

Seawolves overwhelm Central

ANCHORAGE — Shooting the lowest percentage in Central Washington’s 14-year NCAA Division II history, the Wildcats sustained an 80-48 loss to 12th-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Wildcats (3-8 GNAC, 6-12 overall) made only 11 of 60 field goal attempts for 18.3 percent. It was the third-lowest in program history, which dates to 1980-81.

CWU’s top three scorers for the season, Jessica VanDyke, Sophie Russell and Alex Dunn, shot a combined 2 for 23 and totaled 11 points.

Haley Holmstead led the Seawolves (10-1, 19-3) with 24 points.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Albrecht 3-7 0-0 6, Russell 1-12 4-6 6, VanDyke 1-5 3-4 5, Johnson 1-7 2-2 5, Dunn 0-6 0-0 0, Martinez 2-3 3-4 7, Jacobson 1-4 4-4 7, Valdez 1-1 2-3 5, Gordon 0-0 3-4 3, Fettig 1-5 0-0 2, Moser 0-6 2-2 2, Rethwill 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 11-60 23-29 48.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE — Ryder 2-4 2-2 6, Robison 1-2 0-0 2, Hanna Johansson 9-13 3-4 21, Haley Holmstead 6-12 12-13 24, King 2-6 0-0 6, Deichmann 1-1 0-1 2 Mathews 3-9 0-0 6, Madison 1-2 0-0 3, Richens 0-2 0-0 0, Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Seale 0-1 2-3 2, Horn 2-3 0-0 4, Burns 2-3 0-1 4. Totals 29-58 19-24 80.

Halftime — UAA 48-16. 3-point goals — CWU 3-18 (VanDyke 0-2, Johnson 1-2, Dunn 0-1, Russell 0-6, Rethwill 0-1, Jacobson 1-2, Valdez 1-1); UAA 3-14 (Ryder 0-1, King 2-4, Mathews 0-3, Madison 0-2, Horn 0-1, Burns 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — CWU 41 (Albrecht 6, Russell 6); UAA 39 (Johansson 11). Turnovers — CWU 22, UAA 15. Total fouls — CWU 22, UAA 29.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Battle, Royal power Yakima Valley ||

DeShawn Battle and Amir Royal combined for 35 points Saturday as hot-shooting Yakima Valley subdued Treasure Valley 85-81 in East Region men’s action.

Battle had 18 points and Royal came off the bench for 17 points and a team-high six rebounds.

Dabrail Henton added 13 points and three other Yaks totaled eight as YVCC improved to 5-1 in the region and 12-6 overall.

Yakima Valley shot 55 percent in the first half (17 for 31) en route to a 45-34 lead, then hit 59 percent over the final 20 minutes for a game total of 57 percent (30 for 53).

Kriff Jensen had 27 points and Marck Coffin 23 for the Chukars (2-4, 3-14).

TREASURE VALLEY — Kriff Jensen 9-20 3-3 27, Smith 2-7 0-1 4, Campbell 0-2 4-4 4, Flowers 4-9 0-0 10, Johnson 4-9 1-2 9, Cooper 0-1 0-0 0, Leitch 0-0 0-0 0, Anderson 1-2 2-2 4, Marck Coffin 6-12 11-12 23, Cooper 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-62 21-24 81.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Diggs 1-6 6-8 8, DeShawn Battle 6-9 5-8 18, Martinez 2-3 3-5 7, Dabrail Henton 4-12 4-5 13, Flowers 4-4 0-0 8, Amir Royal 7-10 3-4 17, Bagby 0-0 0-0 0, Molina 1-3 0-2 2, Jensen 3-4 0-0 8, Romero 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 30-53 21-32 85.

Halftime — YVCC 45-34. 3-point goals — TVCC 8-18 (Jensen 6-13, Flowers 2-4, Cooper 0-1); YVCC 4-9 (Diggs 0-1, Battle 1-2, Henton 1-4, Jensen 2-2). Fouled out — Smith, Campbell, Johnson. Rebounds — TVCC 26 (Johnson 8); YVCC 30 (Royal 6, Henton 5, Flowers 5). Turnovers — TVCC 17, YVCC 21. Total fouls — TVCC 21, YVCC 20.

Wildcats fall to Anchorage, 82-65 ||

ELLENSBURG — Central Washington was without its second-leading scorer and rebounder and top shot blocker Saturday night in its GNAC matchup with Alaska Anchorage, and Kevin Davis’ absence was costly for the Wildcats.

Anchorage’s Taylor Rohde, a 6-foot-9 senior, scored 25 of his game-high 31 points in the second half as the Seawolves pulled away for an 82-65 victory in Nicholson Pavilion.

“With Anchorage, you have to pick your poison,” said CWU coach Greg Sparling. “We drew up a game plan designed to limit their threes (3-pointers) because they have three kids shooting better than 40 percent and threes add up in a hurry. I’m really pleased with the way our kids executed the game plan. And we just missed a lot of shots.”

The defeat dropped CWU (4-7 GNAC, 10-9 overall) into a three-way tie with Northwest Nazarene and Saint Martin’s for sixth place in the conference. The top six teams qualify for the GNAC’s postseason tournament.

Without the 6-9 sophomore Davis, who suffered an ankle injury during Thursday night’s win over Alaska Fairbanks, the Wildcats started 6-5 Roby Clyde at center and moved Toussaint Tyler from shooting guard to forward with Jordan Coby replacing Tyler in the backcourt.

Tyler scored a game-high 22 points and point guard Lacy Haddock added 14, but CWU shot just 42 percent from the field while the Seawolves (9-2, 15-4), connected on 59 percent (33 of 56).

Rohde was 13 for 19 and also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as UAAA outboarded Central 34-22.

The Wildcats visit Northwest Nazarene next Saturday night.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE — Thompson 2-4 2-2 6, Lauwers 0-2 0-1 0, Taylor Rohde 13-19 5-6 31, Steve White 5-8 2-2 12, Fossman 3-7 0-0 8, Lonnie Ridgeway 4-4 4-4 12, Jackson 1-1 0-0 2, Demissie 3-6 0-0 7, Hearn 1-1 0-0 2, Gibcus 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 33-56 13-15 82.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Johnson 1-1 7-8 9, Toussaint Tyler 7-14 5-9 22, Clyde 2-8 1-2 5, Lacy Haddock 5-13 4-4 14, Coby 3-8 0-0 7, Starr 3-5 0-0 7, Magee 0-1 0-0 0, Nelson 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 21-50 18-25 65.

Halftime — UAA 36-29. 3-point goals — UAA 3-7 (Thompson 0-1, Lauwers 0-1, Fossman 2-4, Demissie 1-1); CWU 5-14 (Tyler 3-5, Haddock 0-3, Coby 1-5, Starr 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — UAA 34 (Rohde 9); CWU 22 (Clyde 6). Turnovers — UAA 9, CWU 8. Total fouls — UAA 16, CWU 16.