Box Score FOREST GROVE, Ore. – In a game filled with long-range bombs and sizzling scoring streaks, the Pacific University (Ore.) Boxers turned the tables on the visiting Multnomah University Lions in the second half and rallied for a 101-88 non-conference men's basketball victory Saturday night here at the Stoller Center.
Hitting five of their first six shots, including 3-for-3 on three-pointers by Ben Grandle and another by Brett Blackstock, the Lions jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the first two-and-a-half minutes. The Boxers scored seven straight to tie it 14-14, only to have Grandle nail two more from downtown for 17-14 and 20-16 Multnomah leads.
Pacific regained the lead 30-28 on a three by R.J. Collins at 11:47, but the Lions took off on another nine-point streak, featuring a pair of treys by DJ Ahana, to go up 37-30 midway through the period. The pace slackened in the final 10 minutes, but the Lions stayed ahead except for a brief 48-48 tie with three minutes to go following back-to-back buckets by the Boxers' Chris Evans. Grandle's eighth three of the half put Multnomah back in front moments later, and the Lions held a 55-52 lead at the break.
The Boxers came out blazing in the second half, draining 11 of their first 14 shots to forge ahead 79-69 with 12 minutes remaining. Jay Merriweather scored eight and Davis Holly seven in Pacific's 27-14 run. Multnomah cut the gap to five at 79-74 as Stephen Sedlock hit a three and a layup, but the Boxers pulled away again and eventually built a 15-point lead of 101-86 on a triple by Collins just before the end. The Lions, who had connected on 56 percent of their first-half threes (13-23), were done in primarily by a cold second half from beyond the arc, making only two of 15.
--- By the Numbers: Grandle finished with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 8-of-13 on threes, but 25 of those came in the first half as the Boxers made a concerted effort to keep the ball out of his hands in the second half. Trey Fountain added 18 points and eight assists, while Blackstock just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. A 53-32 deficit on the boards, including a 17-4 discrepancy on the offensive end, also hurt the Lions' chances to remain in the game.
Pacific placed six in double figures in points, with Merriweather and Holly garnering 21 apiece, followed by Brevin Brown with 16, Evans with 14, and Collins and Nate Olowo with 12 each. Merriweather grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and Olowo and Holly contributed four assists apiece.
Multnomah saw its record dip to 2-4 on the season, while Pacific, a member of the NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference, is off to a 5-0 start.
--- Quoting coach Curt Bickley: "We're a new team figuring it out; all a part of the process We can grow from this road game."
--- Next: Multnomah takes on another NWC team, Pacific Lutheran University, Tuesday night in Parkland, Wash., at 7:00 p.m. … Pacific goes to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. non-conference contest.
