TACOMA, Wash. – Lewis & Clark College men's basketball could not maintain its first-half rhythm and fell to the University of Puget Sound 85-79 on Friday night at Memorial Fieldhouse in the Northwest Conference opener for both teams.
 
THE BASICS
 
Lewis & Clark 79, Puget Sound 85
Lewis & Clark (4-6, 0-1 NWC)
Puget Sound (6-5, 1-0 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Senior Andre Treadwell led the River Otters with 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Sophomore Marcus Bast added 17 points and converted all nine of his free throw attempts. Senior Justin White contributed 13 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Fellow senior Taien Jackson finished with 11 points, three assists and one block.
 
Juniors Kody Uyesugi and Yigit Arcan scored six points apiece, while sophomore Darius Wilcher rounded out the scoring with four points. Uyesugi was one of three River Otters with three assists. Arcan pulled down two rebounds, and Wilcher added a block.
 
Lewis & Clark erased an eight-point deficit, 15-7, with an 11-2 run midway through the first half, then took its largest lead of the game, 29-22, on a 3-pointer from Treadwell with 9:23 remaining. Treadwell hit three shots from beyond the arc in the opening half.
 
Puget Sound answered to tie the game at 29-all, but Lewis & Clark would take a 39-33 lead after two free throws from Bast. Treadwell would again give the River Otters a six-point advantage, 41-35, after two makes at the charity stripe. Lewis & Clark carried a 43-41 lead into halftime.
 
The River Otters pushed the margin to 50-48 at the 16:25 mark when Jackson converted a driving layup. The game stayed within one possession for the next six minutes.
 
Puget Sound's Ian Cook sparked a 10-0 run to give the Loggers a 69-61 lead with 9:12 remaining. Cook scored seven points during the stretch, including a 3-pointer and a jumper. Lewis & Clark was unable to overcome the deficit.
 
Lewis & Clark trimmed the margin to 73-71 with 6:00 left when White knocked down a jumper in the paint. Bast tied the game at 75-all with two free throws at 3:57.
 
Puget Sound scored the next five points to regain control and held on for the 85-79 win.
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Bast is 16-of-17 from the free throw line over the last four games after going a perfect 9-for-9 on Friday.
• Treadwell recorded his eighth 20-point game of the season and ranks second in the NWC at 21.0 points per game.
• Puget Sound held a narrow 36-32 rebounding edge but out rebounded Lewis & Clark 19-9 on the offensive glass.
• Jackson, Bast and Uyesugi each finished with three assists.

WHO'S NEXT
 
Lewis & Clark continues Northwest Conference play Saturday at Pacific Lutheran University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.