Western survived a hard-fought battle Thursday, Feb. 2, beating Western Oregon 89-81 in overtime to clinch their sixth victory in a row and remain in first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. With the win, the 16th ranked Vikings improved to 19-3 overall and 10-1 in conference.
In a balanced effort, five Vikings each scored at least 11 points. Junior guard John Allen led the way with 19 points and five assists, including five 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Richard Woodworth also contributed 16 points.
The game started slowly, with both teams exchanging points for the first ten minutes. Midway through Western took off, building an eleven-point lead by the end of the half.
The Vikings continued to build and maintain their significant lead through the first 15 minutes of the second half, leading by as many as sixteen points.
Western Oregon came storming back with five minutes remaining, going on a 16-4 run to tie the game at 76 and force overtime.
“We didn’t make the right decisions down the stretch,” junior guard Paul Jones said. “We had too many turnovers.”
The score stayed close in overtime until the Vikings began to pull into the lead. Western used clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to score the final five points.
“It’s very tough to win on the road in our conference, but we overcame the adversity and came out with the win,” Coach Brad Jackson said.
Western shot 49.1 percent from the field and 21-24 from the free-throw line.
“We’ve been a good free-throw shooting team, but tonight was exceptional,” Jackson said.
Next up, the Vikings will travel to Lacey on Saturday, Feb. 4 to face Saint Martin’s University at 7 p.m.
Related articles:
The game started slowly, with both teams exchanging points for the first ten minutes. Midway through Western took off, building an eleven-point lead by the end of the half.
The Vikings continued to build and maintain their significant lead through the first 15 minutes of the second half, leading by as many as sixteen points.
Western Oregon came storming back with five minutes remaining, going on a 16-4 run to tie the game at 76 and force overtime.
“We didn’t make the right decisions down the stretch,” junior guard Paul Jones said. “We had too many turnovers.”
The score stayed close in overtime until the Vikings began to pull into the lead. Western used clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to score the final five points.
“It’s very tough to win on the road in our conference, but we overcame the adversity and came out with the win,” Coach Brad Jackson said.
Western shot 49.1 percent from the field and 21-24 from the free-throw line.
“We’ve been a good free-throw shooting team, but tonight was exceptional,” Jackson said.
Next up, the Vikings will travel to Lacey on Saturday, Feb. 4 to face Saint Martin’s University at 7 p.m.
Related articles:
- Men's Basketball: Men win decisively against GNAC opponent
- Men's Basketball: Men secure top spot in the GNAC
- Men's Basketball: Rivalry is what makes games
