It was a battle, as Evergreen State College trimmed down a big halftime deficit but the Geoducks ultimately fell 101-88 to Northwest University in a Cascade Collegiate Conference matchup on Jan. 6.
Evergreen trailed by as many as 29 points in Kirkland at the break but stormed back in the second half, closing within 12 points on three separate occasions. The Geoducks outscored the Eagles 61-45 after halftime, but Northwest was able to hold on down the stretch to secure the win. Northwest University improved to 4-11 overall, while Evergreen dropped to 1-8. Both teams now sit at 1-6 in conference play.
The Eagles appeared in control early, taking a 56-27 lead into halftime and extending the margin to 80-49 with 14:37 remaining in the game. Evergreen responded with a decisive 19-0 run fueled by five three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 80-68 on a layup by senior wing Tony Frohlich-Fair with 6:32 left. Zach Jefferson and Jacob Laff each knocked down two triples during the surge, with Frohlich-Fair adding another from long range.
Evergreen again pulled within 12 at 84-72 following a layup by Tyler No with 4:52 remaining, but Northwest answered with an eight-point run, highlighted by three-pointers from Cameron Downey and Logan Stempniak, to regain separation at 92-72 with just over three minutes to play.
Frohlich-Fair led the Geoducks with 23 points, shooting 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. He also added five rebounds, four assists, and a steal. The senior has scored in double figures in all nine games this season and has topped 23 points five times.
No and Laff each scored 14 points for Evergreen, with Laff hitting 4-of-8 from three-point range. Jefferson chipped in 10 points, while Gabriel Wigginton finished with nine points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals.
Northwest was led by Trent Williams, who posted a standout performance with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Williams shot 6 of 8 from the field, including 5 of 6 from three-point range. Stempniak added 21 points and six assists, while Andrew Iyamah scored 17 points with seven rebounds.
Evergreen shot 45.1 percent from the field for the game and an impressive 57.9 percent in the second half. The Geoducks also connected on 43.3 percent of their three-point attempts and went 11 of 13 from the free-throw line. Northwest finished the night shooting 57.8 percent overall and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Evergreen will return home Saturday, Jan. 10, to host Warner Pacific University in another CCC contest. Tipoff at the Costantino Recreation Center is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST.
