EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell men's basketball team started the second half of the Cascade Collegiate Conference circuit with a big win on Friday night, topping Warner Pacific, 68-52. It was the fewest points allowed by the Beacons in a CCC game this season.
 
In fact, the last time Bushnell held an opponent to fewer points was almost one year ago to the day to the same Knights team in a 68-51 home victory. This time around, the road win came behind the strength of forcing WPU to shoot 35% from the field including a 2-for-21 effort from three-point range.
 
Head Coach Eddie Alexander said, "Tonight we played the best defense we have played the entire season. Trevon Richmond, Alexis Angeles, and Isaac Girley [pictured] especially were able to greatly affect their rhythm on offense."
 
The game was never truly in doubt. After allowing Warner Pacific to score the first four points, Bushnell rattled off a 10-1 run, taking the lead for good on a Stevie Schlabach jumper just three and a half minutes into the contest. The Beacons (7-11, 5-7 CCC) shot 42% in the game.
 
Spencer Hoffman had another impressive night for the Beacons, scoring 17 points and cleaning up the boards to the tune of 20 rebounds, a career high and the most by a Bushnell player this season. It was the ninth 20+ rebound game ever for a Beacon.
 
Schlabach matched Hoffman's 7-for-14 shooting night, finishing with 16 points along with nine rebounds and a game-high four assists. As a team, Bushnell out-rebounded the Knights, 45-33.
 
Additional scoring highlights came from Trevon Richmond with 12 and Kaden Sand who hit a pair of second-half three-pointers and ended the night with eight points.
 
"The guys executed very well on offense," added Alexander. "We got loos with the basketball for a little while in the second half but we did a great job rebounding and keeping them from getting hot from outside."
 
Warner Pacific (12-6, 9-4) were led off the bench by Thomas Miles, scoring a game-high 19 points. The WPU reserves out-scored the Bushnell bench 29-7 and held a 36-32 advantage on points in the paint.
 
With the victory, Bushnell finds themselves in a three-way tie for seventh-place in the CCC with Lewis-Clark State and Oregon Tech. The trio sits a half game behind Multnomah (11-8, 6-7) for sixth. The Beacons will look to even things out with the Lions on Saturday as they remain in Portland to take on MU at 5:00 pm.