The Willamette Bearcats upset the Pioneer Men's Basketball Team
82-71 (box
score) Saturday night at the Pamplin Sports Center. Thomas
Tillery scored 24 points for the Pioneers.
The Bearcats jumped out to a very early lead, scoring the first
eight points of the game. The Pioneers, fueled by eight points from
David Berggren (junior, Tualatin, Ore.), came roaring back into the
game, going on a 19-2 run to take a 21-12 lead. The Pioneers led by
11, 38-27, in the waning moments of the first half until the
Bearcats Kyler McClary hit a jumper with moments left in the half
to cut the Pioneer halftime lead to single digits, 38-29.
The Pioneers pushed the lead out to 14, 45-31, on a
three-pointer by Joey Toboni (senior, San Francisco, Calif.) a
minute and a half into the second half. After Willamette cut the
lead back to single digits, 50-41, Joey Toboni hit another three to
give the Pioneers a 12-point edge with 14:13 remaining. The
Pioneers would not hit another field goal for six and a half
minutes. Thomas Tillery (senior, Portland, Ore.), with his team up
by just one, got a layup to make it a 57-54 game with 7:52
remaining. The Bearcats got two offensive rebounds on their end
before Corey Costantino connected for a three to tie the game.
Willamette pushed out to a six point lead, 65-59, with 4:16
remaining. Josh Kollasch (sophomore, Tucson, Ariz.) cut the lead in
half, hitting a three, but the Pioneers couldn't get a defensive
stop to cut into the lead. A three-pointer by the Bearcats' Mike
Smith with 1:30 left in the game pushed the Bearcat lead out to
nine and effectiely ended the Pioneers chance of digging out of
their deficit. The Bearcats held on for the 82-71 victory.
Thomas Tillery was 11-16 shooting, scoring 24 points with six
rebounds for the Pioneers. For the second night in a row, Josh
Kollasch and David Berggren each finished the game in
double-figures. Kollasch scored 10 points with three rebounds and a
pair of assists. Berggren scored 12 with two assists and two
steals.
With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 9-5, 3-3 NWC. The Bearcats
improve to 5-10, 3-3 NWC.
The Pioneers will host the Conference-leading Puget Sound
Loggers next Friday night, January 25, at 8pm at the Pamplin Sports
Center.
