PORTLAND, Ore. – Warner Pacific didn't give the Multnomah University men's basketball team an easy welcoming as the Lions lost their first ever Cascade Collegiate Conference game 104-67 on Jim Skagen Court Tuesday night.
The loss drops MU to 3-5 overall, 0-1 in the CCC as the Knights improve to 4-5, 1-0 to open up conference play.
How It Happened: Preseason ranked 16
th, the Knights fell out of the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll but showed why they belong with their shooting as they finished with a percentage of 51.9, knocking down 40-of-77 shots.
The Lions jumped out to an early lead after a 3-pointer by freshman
Ben Grandle made it an 8-4 advantage for MU.
With just over 13 minutes left in the first half, a three-pointer by Adam Westfall gave the Knights an 18-17 lead, putting them ahead of the Lions for the remainder of the night.
Warner Pacific continued to hit shots throughout the half as they headed into the locker room with the score at 66-43.
Thomas Simien led the first half for the Lions recording 13 points followed by Grandle with 12. Eight different Knights scored during the opening half as they finished shooting 60 percent from the field and 47 percent from behind the arc.
Multnomah struggled offensively in the second half, hitting only eight shots for 22 percent shooting, compared to Warner's 40.6 percent shooting.
The Knights took their largest lead of the night with just over four minutes left on the clock, after a layup by Keaton Bankofier made it 99-56.
By the Numbers: Warner Pacific won the battle under the basket, earning a plus-17 rebounding advantage, recording 55 total rebounds.
Grandle finished as the leading scorer for the Lions with 14 points while also tying for the most rebounds on the team with eight. Simien and
Blake Updike tied with 13 points each with
Jordan Paris ended the night with eight rebounds and five points.
For the Knights, five player landed in double figures in points, led by Franky Johnson with 21 points and Westfall with 18.
Coming Up Next: The Lions return home as they prepare to host The Evergreen State College on Friday night while Warner hosts Northwest University.
