NEWBERG, Ore. — The Bruins' men's basketball team opened up the new year at home against Lewis and Clark, where they edged the Pioneers 99-89 after a stellar second half.
How it Happened
After a back-and-forth first half, the Pioneers held a two-point lead, entering the second half up 46-44. Though the Pioneers held multiple 8-10 point leads over the course of the half, the Bruins never let it get to them, battling back in the last four minutes of action. As the final seconds of the first half were winding down, the Pioneers picked off a pass but were called for a travel, giving the Bruins the ball and 0.6 to score down 46-42. After a stellar inbound pass, the Bruins were able to score a miraculous two points to shrink the lead to two.
Carrying their momentum into the second half, the Bruins surged for 55 points, giving them more than enough support to conquer the Pioneers with a score of 99-89. After their shooters began to heat up, the defense stepped up and held the Pioneers to 43 points, allowing the Bruins to notch a ten-point win at home..
Top Performers
Zac Schmerber notched a career-best 30 points on 12-19 shooting from the field, including 4-7 beyond the arc, to lead all scorers. Austin Clark added 19 points, Chris Nickelberry tallied 14 points on a perfect 7-7 night at the rim, and James Moore added 10 off the bench wo to with a team-best seven rebounds.
Coach's Thoughts
"I'm so proud of the guys," coach Maco Hamilton said after the win. "We made no excuses for the adversity we faced in available bodies tonight. Guys stepped up to pick up the slack and we showed resilience in pulling away - it's a great example of toughness from our young men."
What It Means
After their win, the Bruins get back on the winning side in conference play, moving their record to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in NWC action. The Pios drop to 6-6 and are 0-4 against NWC schools this season.
Up Next
After their win tonight, the Bruins will try to carry their momentum in Friday's game against Willamette at 8:00 pm in Salem.
