Box Score

SALEM, Ore. – With a berth in the Northwest Conference playoffs on the line, Willamette used the home court to their advantage as they led from start to finish in a 70-63 win over Pacific in men's basketball action at the Cone Field House.
 
The Bearcats (10-15, 8-8 NWC) claimed the fourth and final spot in the tournament on a night that both teams were even from the field.  Willamette shot 42.4 percent from the field (24-54), but excelled to hit 77.3 percent from the free throw line (17-22).  Willamette also forced 17 Pacific turnovers, converting those into 22 points.
 
With the loss, Pacific finishes the season as 12-13 overall and in a tie with Puget Sound for fifth place in the NWC at 7-9.
 
Mitch Wettig (Sr., Bend, Ore.) led the Boxers in his career finale with 17 points, connecting on 7 of 12 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range.  Skyler Burgess (Jr., Riverton, Utah) added 13 points along with seven rebounds and four steals.  DeVon Pouncey (Jr., Vallejo, Calif.) came off the bench for a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. 
 
Pacific finished the night shooting 42.6 percent from the field (23-54).  The Boxers outrebounded the Bearcats 37-30, with 15 of those coming on the offensive glass.
 
Brandon Luedtke led Willamette with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, connecting on 7 of 10 from the field to go along with seven steals.  Nico Troplent came off the bench to score 14.
 
Willamette moved quickly to post a double-digit lead, going ahead 15-3 on a four-point play by Bridger Harlington five minutes into the contest.  It took time for the Boxers to cut the lead back to single digits, but eventually cut the lead to five when a pair of Coby Proctor (Sr., Sublimity, Ore.) free throws made it a 22-17 game with 9:05 left.
 
Pacific made their best run at evening game late in the half, pulling to within 35-33 on a pair of Michael Garcia (Fr., Forest Grove, Ore.) free throws with 44 seconds left.  Troplent responded with a short jumper on the Bearcats' next possession to give Willamette the 37-33 halftime lead.
 
Willamette would not have a double-digit lead again in the game, but the Boxers would never be able to fully complete the comeback.  After being behind by as much as six points early in the second half, Pacific came back to within three when Burgess' lay-in made it 50-47 with 10:45 left.  Willamette went on an 8-2 run from there, with Troplent's three-pointer with 6:20 left making it a 58-49 game.
 
Pacific would have to foul late to try and get possessions, and early on it looked as though it would work.  Misses by the Bearcats allowed Pacific within 64-61 on Burgess' lay-in with 36 seconds left, but Willamette recovered to hit 6 of 6 from that point to ice the game.
 
Despite the loss, Pacific finished with their third consecutive season of 10 wins or more and finished fifth in the NWC for the third consecutive year.