EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell men's basketball team put a stop to a seven-game losing streak on Saturday night, toppling Walla Walla University in Cascade Collegiate Conference action, 95-84. Spencer Hoffman led the way for the Beacons, scoring 28 points on 11-for-12 shooting including 18 points in the second half as the team pulled away.
 
The Beacons (3-7, 1-3 CCC) shot 56% from the field and were able to put the game away at the free-throw line where they were 32-for-36. The Beacons out-scored the Wolves 50-26 in the paint. Walla Walla (0-8, 0-4) hit 13 three-pointers in the contest but were just 42% from the field.
 
Head Coach Eddie Alexander said, "We have been working on free throws all season and they proved to be a huge difference in the game tonight. I give credit to Walla Walla for shooting the lights out at moments in the game."
 
After Bushnell jumped out to a 9-0 lead, Walla Walla quickly turned things around scoring the next ten points to take their first lead. The teams traded the advantage nine more times in the first half before the Beacons emerged with a 42-36 advantage at the intermission.
 
WWU climbed to within three points at 49-46 early in the second half before back-to-back layups from Kaden Sand and two from Spencer Hoffman put things out of reach. Bushnell led by as many as 14 points late in the game.
 
Hoffman started the game by hitting his first 11 attempts before finally missing on in the final two minutes. His 91.7% shooting percentage is the second-highest in school history for a single game and the highest in 32 years. Mat Sand set the standard in 1990 on a night when he went 14-for-15. The junior added a pair of blocks along with 12 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double and fourth of the season.
 
"Spencer stepped it up in the post in the second half tonight and went to work," said Alexander.
 
Sand finished the night with a season-high 16 points, adding eight rebounds and team highs of three assists and three blocks. Trevon Richmond matched his season high with 16 points, shooting 10-for-12 at the free throw line while Isaac Girley came off the bench to record a season-best as well, scoring 13 points.
 
The Wolves were led by Andrew Vaughan, scoring 20 points, and Caleb Golden adding 19. Each play hit four three-pointers for Walla Walla. Ethan Ford came off the bench to score 13 as the WWU reserves out-scored the Beacon bench, 33-20.
 
Both teams will be back in action at 5:00 pm on Sunday. Bushnell will play host to Lewis-Clark State College while the Wolves head to Salem to take on Corban University.