#6 Loggers Wrap Up Perfect NWC Season With 75-74 Comeback Win

SALEM, Ore. - With 8:34 left to play, it looked like the sixth-ranked Puget Sound Loggers would face defeat for the first time in the Northwest Conference this season but when the final buzzer filled Cone Field House, the Loggers had collected the 75-74 win over the host Willamette Bearcats on Saturday, becoming the first team in NWC men's basketball history to finish the conference season 16-0.

The Bearcats took the lead just 17 seconds into the game on a jumper by Cameron Mitchell and following a lay-up by Jason Foster (Spanaway, Wash./Henry Foss) 17 seconds later, Willamette went on a 10-0 run to pull ahead early. The Loggers fought back, pulling back within one point on a jumper by Steffond Brown (Seattle, Wash./Lower Columbia CC) with 14:17 left to go in the first period. Willamette built the lead back to nine but another strong Logger effort tied the game up twice in the closing minutes of the half before the ‘Cats used a late run to take a six-point lead into the half, 42-36.

In the second half, the Bearcats found a way to hold off any rally the Loggers tried to throw at them. After Puget Sound found themselves in foul trouble, Willamette slowly built the lead back into double-digits, building a 15-point lead midway though the period.

The Loggers fired themselves back up and brought the lead down to six points on a three-pointer by Antwan Williams (Portland, Ore./Madison) with 4:46 left to play. Senior Robert Krauel (Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon) cut the lead to four with 3:08 to play and then Brown cut the deficit to just two points with just 2:10 left on the clock. Williams got the Loggers within one point with just under a minute left to play.

Following a missed three-pointer at the Willamette end of the court, the game came down to a pair of free throws by Williams with eight seconds left to go and Williams handled the pressure, making both to give the Loggers their first lead of the game, 75-74, and a missed shot by Mitchell at the buzzer gave the Loggers their 18th consecutive victory and the undefeated NWC season.

The Loggers were led in scoring by Krauel, who finished with 22 points on the night. Austin Boyce (Kent, Wash./Kentwood) finished with 11 points and Williams concluded the night with 10 points, including the game-clinching free-throws.

Willamette was led by 19 points from Kyler McClary, who also added seven rebounds. Corey Constantino added 14 points before fouling out and Mitchell nearly collected the double-double, scoring nine points and bringing down nine rebounds.

The Loggers, who secured the top seed in the Northwest Conference tournament with a win over Whitworth on Feb. 13, will have to wait until Sunday night to find out who they will play in the opening round of the conference tournament. Should Whitworth win on Sunday, the Loggers will play host to Lewis & Clark but if Lewis & Clark should defeat Whitworth, then Puget Sound will play host to Linfield.

Box Score