DJ Ahana scored 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, as Multnomah fell to Northwest Christian 107-81 Friday at home.
NW CHRISTIAN 107, MULTNOMAH 81: Beacons’ Inside Success Trumps Lions’ Outside Game
PORTLAND, Ore. – With both teams sinking three-pointers and free throws, it was Northwest Christian University's inside game which finally sank Multnomah University as the visiting Beacons out-scored the Lions 51-18 in the paint for a 107-81 Cascade Collegiate Conference men's basketball victory Friday night here at Lytle Gym.
The opening 12 minutes of the game saw five ties and five lead changes. Down 9-7, Multnomah used a go-ahead three-pointer by
Ben Grandle and a pair of treys by
Brett Blackstock to build their largest lead of 16-11 with 14:17 left in the half. The Beacons countered with a 16-7 run, fueled by a layup and two threes by Brock Rice off the bench, to go up 27-23 with 9:10 to go. A jumper by Blackstock and a three by
Tyler Walker gave the Lions their final lead of 28-27 with 8:20 remaining.
Over the next four minutes, the Lions went cold, making only one of eight shots while the Beacons connected of six of 11 to surge ahead 43-31 at the 4:11 mark. A Michael Loomis layup at 2:04 gave NCU its largest lead of the half at 50-34, and they entered the break ahead 54-40.
Still cold, the Lions opened the second half missing six of their first eight shots while the Beacons hit 11 of 15 to surge ahead by 31 at 79-48 with 13:06 left in the game. Austin Tyner twice gave NCU 35-point leads, the last at 95-60 with 9:10 to go, as the visitors broke a tie between the two teams for eighth place in the conference standings and the final CCC Tournament spot.
--- By the Numbers: Blackstock paced the Lions with 18 points,
DJ Ahana scored 14, and Grandle finished with 13. The Lions shot .368 (25-68) from the field, including .326 (14-43) from three-point range, and .739 (17-23) from the line. Blackstock had seven rebounds, and Walker passed out five assists.
Five players reached double figures for the Beacons: Rice with 19, Tyner 16, Loomis 13, Canyon Dwyre 12, and Tyrus Hosley 11. NCU shot .472 (42-89), 12-for-42 from long distance but 30-for-47 (.638) from closer in, and .846 (11-13) from the stripe. Led by Spencer Mattox's eight boards, the Beacons out-rebounded the Lions 59-38, with a 17-6 advantage on the offensive glass. Jordan Alexander and Kenny Blackwell had four assists each, and Blackwell picked up three steals.
Multnomah is now 4-11 on the season and 1-5 in the conference, while Northwest Christian is 6-7 overall and 2-4 in the CCC.
--- Next: Multnomah hosts Corban University and Northwest Christian visits Warner Pacific College Saturday at 7:30 for CCC contests, following CCC women's games at 5:30 p.m.