The Pioneer men's basketball team fell 92-87 (box score) in overtime
to the #11 Puget Sound Loggers Friday night at the Pamplin Sports
Center. David Berggren scored 22 points for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers started the game on a 15-0 run, keeping the Loggers
off the scoreboard until the 12:41 mark of the first half when a
three-pointer by Antwan Williams gave UPS their first points of the
game. The Pioneers led by double-digits throughout the first half,
extending the lead to 20 for the first time with 49 seconds left in
the first half on a layup by Thomas Tillery (senior, Portland,
Ore.).
The Pioneers still were in complete control of the game as the
second half began. They built a 26-point advantage on a jumper by
Nick Thierry (senior, Beaverton, Ore.), 55-29, with 14:23 remaining
in the game. The Loggers began their comeback a minute later, when
the Loggers Jason Foster hit a jumper, getting fouled on the
basket. Foster's three pointers were the first of a 15-4 Puget
Sound run. With 7:33 remaining, it was still a healthy 60-47,
13-point Pioneer lead. The Logger pressure continued to whittle
away at the lead, with UPS getting the deficit back to single
digits. 72-63, on a jump shot by Jason Foster with 2:56 left in the
game. With under two minutes to play, a steal by the Loggers'
Antwan Williams led to a layup by Robert Krauel. After getting
fouled on a defensive rebound, the Loggers went to the line and
made it a 74-71 game with 1:44 remaining. After two more UPS
steals, Antwan Williams hit a layup with 52 seconds remaining,
cutting the Pioneer lead to one. Nick Thierry answered on the other
end for the Pioneers, making it a 76-73 Pioneer lead. The Loggers
tied the game 76-76 on an and-one by Antwan Williams. The Pioneers
got the ball back with 13 seconds left in the game. Gene Rivera
(senior, Kahului, Hawaii) scored a layup, getting fouled on the
shot, giving the Pioneers a chance to go up by three. The Pioneers
committed a lane violation on the freethrow, giving the ball back
to UPS with six seconds left in the game. With the clock expiring,
the Loggers' Antwan Williams scored a field goal to tie the game
78-78, sending it to overtime.
The Pioneers went into the extention with two of their starters,
Joey Toboni (senior, San Francisco, Calif.) and Thomas Tillery
(senior, Portland, Ore.) on the bench after fouling out in
regulation. In the OT, the Loggers Antwan Williams continued his
assault on the Pioneer ball handlers, forcing turnovers that UPS
converted to a 4-0 advantage in the first minute and a half. They
extended their lead out to 6, 84-78 on a Robert Krauel layup with
2:22 remaining. The Pioneers got within three, 87-84, with 25
seconds remaining on a three by Corey Allen (junior, Portland,
Ore.), but the Loggers kept hitting their freethrows to earn a
92-87 victory.
The Loggers' Antwan Williams scored 34 points with 10 rebounds,
five steals, and four assists. Taylor Marsh hit five
three-pointers, scoring 19 points with four rebounds and three
steals.
For the Pioneers, David Berggren fit five threes of his own,
scoring a team-high 22 points. Gene Rivera had a double-double with
12 points and 10 rebounds, just the second double-double of the
season for the Pioneers.
Rivera also had four blocks in the game, giving him 77 career
blocks, a new Pioneer record. He passed Jeff Flowers who finished
his Pioneer career with 76 blocks. Rivera also owns the single-game
blocking record (6) and single-season blocking record (51).
With the win, the Puget Sound Loggers improve to 13-2 (6-1 NWC).
The Pioneers fall to 9-6 (3-4 NWC).
The Pioneers are back at Pamplin Saturday night, hosting the
Linfield Wildcats. Tipoff will be at 8pm.
