COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. - Multnomah battled their way to their second win in as many games, securing a hard-fought 87-77 road victory against Walla Walla University. With the win, the Lions jump to fifth place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings with a 9-6 record.

"In games like this one, you're battling more of the mental part of the game than you are physically, which was a battle that we won 90% of tonight. However, that 10% that we lost had a huge impact on the overall outcome of the game," shared head coach Tayo Gem. "Walla Walla kept battling to stay in the game, which is a position that we've been in before this season. Although we've got to continue to improve on our mental toughness, I'm proud of our team for securing a conference road win. We've got another great opportunity tomorrow against LC State to show ourselves how much we've learned since the first time we played them."

Multnomah took control of the game from the tip-off and didn't look back in the first half, retaining the lead for the entirety of the period. A 7-0 run from the Lions late in the half helped to extend their lead to 16 over the Wolves, before ending the half with a 12-point advantage over the hosts.

The Lions continued to exercise their dominance on the game as the second half wore on, extending their lead to 20 in the final 11 minutes of the period thanks to a layup from senior guard Alex Newkirk. Despite the deficit, Walla Walla were able to pull within nine of Multnomah with just over six minutes of play remaining, but that was the closest they would come to claiming the lead. Free throws from Newkirk and Noah McCord in the final minute of the contest were enough to secure the 10-point win for the Lions, as they completed the season sweep over the Wolves.

Sophomore guard led the way for Multnomah tonight, tallying a team-high 18 points and a game-high five assists. Fellow sophomore Keilan Torkornoo chipped in with his seventh double-double of the season, recording 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. McCord continued to show his dominance on the defensive side of the ball with 11 rebounds, a pair of steals and a block, while Braedon Edison was immense off the bench for the Lions with 17 points, two rebounds and two steals.

The Lions will look to make it three wins in a row tomorrow as they to take on (RV) LC State College at 6:00 pm.