Second Half Lock Down Leads To Third Straight Logger Win
LA VERNE, Calif. – A stiff defensive effort and a few key shots in the second half led to the Puget Sound men's basketball team's 56-53 win over La Verne on Tuesday afternoon. The win completed a clean sweep of the Loggers (5-5) three-game swing through southern California.
Three different starters put up double digits in scoring for the Loggers. Derek Jobe led the Loggers with 14 points, while Rex Holmes added 13 points, and Riggs Yarbro pitched in 10 more. Ryan Rogers, another starter, had nine points in the Loggers winning effort.
The long trip looked to be hanging heavy on the Loggers early on as the Leopards (1-7) jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead. Their lead reached as much as nine points with 15:20 left in the first when Alex Wolpe's free throw made the margin 14-5.
However, the Loggers immediately struck back as Yarbro successfully converted a three-point play just over one minute later to cap an 8-0 run. The Leopards held off the Loggers momentarily, but Jobe's three pointer with 8:05 left tied up the game at 20-20, and Roger's three just 30 seconds later gave the Loggers their first lead 23-22.
The lead changed hands seven times late in the first half, but the Loggers ended the half on a 5-0 run to take a 36-32 lead into the half.
After the comeback in the opening 20 minutes, the Loggers never trailed. Both teams struggled to find their shooting rhythms as percentages dropped in the final period. The Leopards were held to just 24.1 percent shooting in the second half and failed to drain a three-point shot in eight tries. The Loggers were just a bit better at 36.3 percent shooting in the half.
The Loggers held off the Leopards in the second half as both teams traded small runs. The lead grew to as many as nine points when Holmes' layup with 5:24 to go made the score 52-43. After a Rogers at the 3:38 mark, the Loggers again led by nine.
The Leopards refused to go as Jake Vieth and Wolpe knocked down four consecutive free throws to narrow the gap to five points. The Loggers scored just once more on a jumper from Holmes, but were able to thwart the Leopard comeback attempt to hold on for the win.
Vieth had a game-leading 20 points as the only Leopard in double digits.
The Loggers will enjoy a short holiday break before returning to the court at Portland Bible on Dec. 29 at 3 p.m.
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The Loggers (7-3) held the Cavaliers (5-7) to just 22.7 percent shooting in the game and a 4-of-18 mark behind the three-point line. The Loggers shot 32.8 percent in the game.
Both teams struggled to score in the early stages of the game as both started 1-of-14 from the floor. The Cavs knocked down their first jumper of the game, but were then held scoreless for just over eight minutes as they missed 13 straight shot attempts.
Meanwhile, four free throws from Sarah Stewart and two-point buckets from McKinnis and Jones gave the Loggers an 8-2 lead with 11:42 left in the first half. Malori Dixon finally ended the Cavs drought with 11:30 remaining with a layup.
The Loggers went on to methodically build a 31-21 lead at halftime behind a solid 15-point effort from their bench players. McKenna Daly scored the Cavs only bench points of the half. Allie Wyszynski led the Logger bench with six of her 16 points in the first half.
Wyszynski, a freshman, had one of the best nights of her young career on 5-of-8 shooting and a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the free throw line. She also pulled down four boards and had two assists.
Freshman Emily Sheldon aided the winning effort with five assists and three steals. She also scored six points on a pair of three-pointers and had three rebounds.
The Loggers kept their foot on the gas in the second half as they went on a 15-3 run over the first five minutes and saw their lead reach as much as 22 points.
Kelly Huey did her best to lead the Cavaliers back late in the second half as she scored 15 of her 17 points in the final period. However, the Loggers were able to keep the Cavs at bay as they held on for the win.
The Loggers will take a break away from competition for nearly two weeks but will take the floor on Dec. 29 at St. Martins in the final nonconference game.
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