PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Lewis & Clark Pioneers hosted the St. Thomas Celts Wednesday night at Pamplin Sports Center, losing 81-74. The Pioneers made 50 percent of their field-goal attempts and went 46.7 percent from the three-point line, but were plagued by turnovers in the end of the second half, costing them the win.

The game began with an early barrage of three's, with back-to-back shots from Jalen Lowery and Jack Henderson, and topped off by a stepback from deep inside the mid-range from Brendan Patrick. The Pioneers got out to an 8-0 run early, moving the ball well across the perimeter and creating many isolation opportunities, as well as the occasional wide-open look from three when they caught the Celts out of position on drives. The Pioneers were winning their one-on-one matchups at a higher clip in the first half, notably, Solomon Davis and Patrick, who'd both hit multiple fading mid-range jumpers by halftime. Both players beat their defender off the dribble on multiple occasions, resulting in plays for others and second-chance opportunities. St. Thomas used a similar offensive scheme of five-out resulting in isolations, some leading to 3s. However, the Celts shot 31 percent from the field, and only 28 percent from three, compared to the Pioneers 58 percent in field goals, and 54 percent from the three-point line. 

With under a minute left in the first half, the Celts deployed full-court press in an attempt to speed up the pace of the game and force turnovers. This strategy proved effective in the second half in shifting momentum away from the Pioneers. Lewis & Clark made more turnovers and rushed more possessions as a result of the defensive pressure. This all came to a head when the Pioneers turned the ball over three consecutive times, helping St. Thomas cut the lead to 53-59. With the loss of Davis to injury, the Pioneers lacked a rim protector who would fare well in any possible drop coverage to deter the opposition from barrelling downhill, which forced a lot of fouls. 

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Key Moments

St. Thomas guard Zack Golaszewski hit a half-court buzzer-beater that touched zero parts of the rim. This was the start of a momentum shift for St. Thomas that put them ahead in the second half. When Solomon Davis went down with an injury at 4:38 left on the clock, it left the Pioneers without an interior presence for the rest of the game. Jaylen Lowrey hit multiple three-pointers to stop the bleeding, one which cut the Celts' lead to 71-66, and one with under a minute on the clock to make it a four-point game, 78-74. Bille Sheikh was blocked on his attempt at a potential game-saving three with under 30 seconds left in the game which led to a turnover on the inbound and the win for the Celts.

Deeper Look

• 3 starters reached double-digit scoring; Patrick with 13 points (6/12), Henderson with 14 points (4/8 3-pointers), and Lowrey with 15 points (6/12 field goals, 3/5 3-pointers) 
• Davis led bench scoring with 15 points (6/9 FG)
• Henderson ended the game with a double-double
• The Pioneers shot 28 percent from the free-throw line on only seven attempts all game

Looking Ahead

The Pioneers play on the road at Portland Bible on Tuesday, with a 6 p.m. tip off.