EUGENE, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University men's basketball took a seven-point halftime lead and turned it into a 21-point lead, only to see Walla Walla claw all the way back to within two before grasping to an 80-77 win on Friday night.
The win give head coach Luke Jackson his 100th career victory in just his fifth season at NCU.
NCU (12-14, 8-11 CCC) shot 42% from the field and collected 13 steals as they clinched seventh place in the CCC and the No. 7 seed for the upcoming Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament. Walla Walla (6-23, 2-17) shot 47% and out-rebounded the Beacons 45-35 but committed 19 turnovers in the loss.
Another night, another huge performance for senior Michael Loomis who ended the evening with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Loomis hit five three pointers and collected four assists and four steals, both team highs.
With his 18 boards, Loomis crosses the 500-point, 250-rebound plateau for a single-season, becoming just the five person on record to accomplish the feat. He has now scored 541 points this season and needs 28 more to pass Josh Jarrett for the NAIA-era record at NCU.
Davonte Cleveland added 15 points and Reece Robinson scored 12 while Austin Tyner went 4-for-7 from three-point range and scored 14 points despite being limited to just 19 minutes due to foul trouble.
Walla Walla got a big night from Wesley Burke, scoring 26 points along with a game-high five assists. Dylan Browning scored 20 points and seven boards and Alec Calloway chipped in 16, 12 of which came during the big Wolves run in the second half.
The Beacons will close out the regular season tomorrow night, playing host to Walla Walla once again at 9:30 pm. Senior Night festivities will take place immediately before tip-off.