Both teams experienced great success from beyond the arch. The Boxers (6-7, 1-4 NWC) hit 8 of 16 from outside, paced by four three-pointers from Branden Kawazoe. The Bearcats also cashed in with eight three-pointers, going 8 of 17 from the arch.
In the end, however, it was Willamette who finished with the hot hand by hitting three treys in the final five minutes. Pacific led by two by 3:23 remaining when Jacob Baran hit from outside to give the Bearcats a 63-62 lead. On their next possession, John Olinger hit his second three-pointer of the night for a 66-62 Willamette edge. The Boxers narrowed the lead to two on a pair of Kyle Motta free throws, but Willamette scored on each of their next three possessions to go ahead 71-64 with only 13 seconds remaining.
Kawazoe led all scorers with 22 points, finishing 7 of 13 from the field with the four three-pointers. Motta connected with 14 points along with eight rebounds and Ross Bartlett had 10 points and eight rebounds. Olinger led four Bearcats in double figures with 16 points. Drew Miller connected for 15, Ian Mansfield had 13 and Baran finished with 11.
Pacific’s motion offense kept things close against the always-solid Bearcats in the first half. Willamette led by no more than five, going up 14-9 on Mansfield’s lay-in at the 12:21 mark. Pacific managed to tie the game three times over the next five minutes, but would not gain the lead until Motta hit from 15 feet with 1:29 left for a 31-29 edge. Brennan Garrelts tied the game with 1:11 left, but Kawazoe’s second three-pointer of the night gave Pacific the 34-31 halftime lead.
The Boxers maintained momentum early in the second half. Ryan Turcott gave Pacific their biggest lead of the game at the 13:17 mark, hitting from outside for a 46-39 advantage. The Bearcats went on a 14-7 run from that point, as Miller’s jumper and following free throw tied the game at 53-53. Willamette took their first second half lead on Mansfield’s three-pointer at the 6:48 mark, but a technical foul on Mansfield two minutes later allowed Turcott to tie things once against at 58-58. Motta’s free throws put Pacific up two, 62-60, with 3:23 to go before Willamette closed the contest with a 13-7 run.
The Boxers will now hit the pavement for a five-game road trip, beginning tomorrow night at Lewis & Clark. Willamette returns home to Salem Saturday to host Linfield.