Box Score

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Pacific rode a pair of outstanding scoring performances by Colin Wester (Sr., Sherwood, Ore.) and Charles Mosley (Sr., Hillsboro, Ore.) to their first winning season in 13 years Friday night, earning their milestone 13th win of the year in an 85-60 rout of Linfield in Northwest Conference men's basketball action at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
 
Wester led all scorers with 29 points, connecting on 11 of 20 from the field, including three three-pointers, and 4 of 5 from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds.  Mosley, meanwhile, proved a one-man wrecking crew in the second half, scoring 19 of his 20 points in the stanza on 7 of 10 from the field.  The pair combined for 33 points in a second period that saw the Boxers outscore the Wildcats 49-23.
 
The victory improved Pacific to 13-9 overall, assuring the Boxers of their first winning season since the 1999-2000 season.  It also moved the Boxers into a tie for fourth place in the NWC with Lewis & Clark at 7-6.  The two will likely dual for the conference's fourth playoff spot when the Boxers host the Pioneers on Tuesday.  Linfield fell to 3-19, 2-11 NWC.
 
Pacific finished the evening shooting 55 percent from the field (33-60), bolstered by a 70.4 percent performance in the second where the Boxers were 19 of 27 from the field.  The Boxers did most of their damage inside, outscoring Linfield in the paint 56-22.  Pacific also got the job done at the free throw line, making 15 of 19.
 
Brandon Harris and Nick Cantonwine led Linfield with 15 points apiece as the Wildcats finished the night shooting 42 percent from the field (21-50).
 
While Pacific controlled the tempo in the first half, it did little to foretell the incredible second half that decided the game.  The Boxers jumped out to a 19-12 lead at the 12:10 mark on Marc Eppinger's (So., Camas, Wash.) jumper, but Linfield rallied back to tie the contest at 25-25 on a pair of Cantonwine free throws with 8:13 to go.
 
Things remained close the rest of the half with four ties and neither team leading by more than two points.  Linfield appeared to have gained a small measure of momentum at the end of the half with Tim Logan's jumper with 29 seconds left sent the Wildcats into the locker room with a 37-36 lead.  Linfield shot 50 percent from the field in the stanza (13-26), went 3 of 4 from three-point range and made 8 of 10 from the free throw line.
 
In the second half, Charles took charge from the start as Mosley connected on the first of his 19 in the period just a minute and a half in.  It would also be Mosley's jumper with 16:20 left that ignited a 10-0 run that gave the Boxers a 15-point lead, 54-39, on Danny Brakebush's (Fr., Portland, Ore.) jumper at the 13:42 mark. 
 
Linfield reduced the lead to nine of Chris Dirks' jumper with 11:11 left, but a Wester three-pointer on the Boxers next possession started a 17-6 surge over the next four minutes, ending with a Mosley jumper with 7:07 left that gave Pacific the 71-51 advantage.  The Wildcats never came closer than 18 the rest of the way as the Boxers built to their final cushion of 25 points late.
 
Pacific returns home to the Stoller Center on Saturday as they host Pacific Lutheran at 8 p.m.  Live audio and video webcasts of the game will be available at goboxers.com.  In addition to Spirit Night and Boxer Club Night activities, Pacific will honor its four graduating seniors prior to the game.