Boydell Scores 19 Points for Willamette, but Boxers Defeat Bearcats

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Jack Boydell (Jr., F, Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley HS) scored 19 points for the Bearcats on Saturday, Jan. 22, but Willamette University fell to Pacific University, 93-69, in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game at the Stoller Center. The Boxers led 45-42 at halftime and owned a 67-56 margin with 10:44 remaining, before pulling away.

Boydell was joined in double figures by Daniel Plumer (Jr., PG, North Las Vegas, NV/Democracy Preparatory Academy), who contributed 16 points, and by Cedric Coward (Fy., F, Fresno, CA/Central HS) who earned his 11th double-double of the season.

Coward registered 14 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and two blocked shots versus the Boxers. It was his seventh consecutive game with a double-double. Boydell led the way in scoring for the Bearcats by hitting 9 of 17 field goals. Plumer connected on a team-high three 3-point shots.

Jared Cattell scored 17 points to lead four Pacific players in double figures. Mario Mora and Lucas Winkler each produced 15 points, while Jacob Bolger scored 12. Cattell was 5 for 6 on 3-points shots, while Mora was 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Winkler led all players with 14 assists and five steals.

The Boxers finished the game 16 of 34 (47.1%) on long-range attempts and shot 50.0% overall (36 of 72). The Bearcats were 26 of 64 from the field (40.6%) and hit 7 of 23 three-point shots (30.4%). Pacific achieved a 42-32 rebounding margin.

A trio of 3-point shots early in the game, including two by Mora, helped Pacific build a 13-7 lead just over three minutes into the game. Willamette pulled within 13-11 on a layup by Boydell less than a minute later, but the Boxers answered with 3-pointers by Tyre Hicks and Trevon Ridley to extend the lead to 19-11 with 15:37 left in the half.

WU reduced the margin to 19-16 after a 3-pointer by Ryder Hsiung (Fy., G, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) and a layup by Kenny Wright Jr. (Jr., PG, Dallas, TX/R.L. Turner HS) at the 14:24 mark. A bit later, the lead was 23-18 before Pacific went on a 10-1 run for a 33-19 advantage.

The Boxers held a 38-22 lead after Mora sank a 3-pointer basket with 8:20 to go in the first half. Willamette surged back into the game, beginning with back-to-back 3-pointers from Jonathan Watts (Sr., W, San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo HS) and Coward. Watts added a layup with 7:18 on the clock, cutting the Bearcats' deficit to 38-30. The next five points were scored by the Boxers, but the Bearcats countered with 12 unanswered points, starting with a 3-pointer by Plumer and ending with seven points by Boydell, to move within a single point at 43-42 with 55 seconds remaining. Hicks scored on a layup for Pacific as time expired.

Pacific opened the second half with a 14-2 run that featured three 3-point baskets from Cattell and one 3-pointer by Bolger, as the margin expanded to 59-44 with 17:01 remaining. WU moved as close as 61-51 on a 3-point basket by Plumer with 14:16 to play, and the Bearcats battled within 67-56 at the 10:44 mark on a traditional three-point play by Hsiung. The Boxers scored 16 of the next 20 points to create an 83-60 lead with 5:01 left.

Willamette will travel to Spokane, Washington, to take on NWC rival Whitworth University on Friday, Jan. 28. Game time is set for 8 p.m. (PST).