PORTLAND, Ore. – Just two games into the 2015-16 campaign, and the Multnomah University men's basketball team secured their first win of the season, moving past Quest University 106-98 on Saturday afternoon on Jim Skagen Court.
 
Senior guard Blake Updike repeated a spectacular performance, recording 38 points while shooting 14-of-15 from the line. In just two games, Updike has totaled 78 points this year.
 
The win evens out the record for the Lions at 1-1, as they continue to find their rhythm before Cascade Collegiate Conference play begins on Dec. 1.
 
How it Happened: Freshman guard Ben Grandle started the scoring for the Lions, hitting a big shot from behind the arc for the first points of the game. Quest University grabbed their first lead of the game moments later, after a fastbreak layup gave them a 4-3 advantage.
 
Updike quickly took back the lead for his team, scoring six straight points, including hitting three free throws. A 12-2 run by the Lions earned them a 21-8 advantage and kept the lead in their favor for the remainder of the half.
 
The Lions shot 42 percent from the field in the first half, hitting 8-of-21 from deep and 11 out of 14 free throws.

Two last minute buckets by Quest cut the lead down to nine, 55-46, as both teams headed into the locker rooms at half.
 
Three Lions finished the opening half in double figures with Updike recording 19 of his 38 and Grandle and Thomas Simien each grabbing 10 points.
 
Quest opened the second half of play cutting into the lead with six straight points before taking their largest lead of the night, 59-57 with 16:16 left on the clock.
 
With 4:19 left in the game, a free throw by senior Jordan Paris broke a 94-94 tie, giving the Lions the lead for the remainder of the night. Updike scored six of the Lions' last 10 points, leading to their first win of the season, 104-98.
 
From the Coach: "Good to win. Simien had a great game giving us a post presence and our freshman made some great plays," said head coach Curt Bickley. "Updike was clutch down the stretch."
 
By the Numbers: Paris ended the night with 14 points and a game high 10 assists and was just two rebounds away from a triple-double with eight rebounds. Simien finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in just 22 minutes while Grandle tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds.
 
MU shot 40 percent from the field while grabbing 18 offensive rebounds to total 14 second change points.
 
Coming Up Next: The Lions will travel to Lewiston, Idaho for a non-conference game against Lewis-Clark State College on Oct. 30.