FOREST GROVE – What seemed to be an unending barrage of three-pointers proved to be the difference Saturday night as Lewis & Clark rolled to a 73-54 victory over Pacific in Northwest Conference men's basketball action at the Stoller Center.
The Pioneers (12-3, 5-1 NWC) finished shooting 12 of 36 from three-point range, connecting on six in each half, which keyed the victory. Lewis & Clark shot a respectable 44.3 percent for the game (27-61), while the Boxers managed just 35.5 percent from the field (22-62) and a 5 of 20 effort from beyond the arc.
Marcus Wells came off the bench to lead the Pioneers with 19 points on 7 of 12 from the field and a pair of three-pointers. P.J. Taylor finished with 13, including four treys, while Kelly Edwards and Donato Perconti each had 12. Kyle Meewusen collected eight rebounds as the Pioneers out-rebounded the Boxers 42-40.
Colin Wester (So., Sherwood, Ore.) led Pacific with 17 points, connecting on 6 of 15 from the field. Carson Bartlett (Jr., St. Helens, Ore.) added 11 points to go along with a game-high nine boards.
Lewis & Clark broke open a close game when Taylor's first three-pointer on the night opened up an 11-2 run that gave the Pioneers a 23-13 lead at the 8:33 mark of the first half. Adam McElwee (So., Woodinville, Wash.) managed to cut the lead back to seven with his three-pointer with 5:52 left, but Wells scored the game's next seven points to open up a 14-point Pioneers' lead with 3:23 to go and L&C entered halftime with a 35-23 advantage.
The Pioneers did not let up in the second half, opening up a 19-point lead on Perconti's three-pointer at the 14:34 mark. Pacific slowly chipped away at the lead over the next five minutes and came within 13 points, 55-42 on Bartlett's three-point play with 9:22 to go. The Pioneers then turned to Taylor, who scored the next eight points of the game to key a 10-0 run to go up by 23 points, 65-42, with 7:14 remaining. Pacific would come no closer than 18 points the rest of the way.
The Boxers will now take their fortunes on the tough eastern Washington road trip. Pacific plays at undefeated and nationally ranked Whitworth on Friday and at Whitman on Saturday. Tip-off both nights is at 8 p.m.