Jan. 8, 2011
Box Score
MONMOUTH, Ore. - Forward Michael Duty (Sr., Seattle/O'Dea) scored a game-high 27 points and center Chris Mitchell (So., Everson/Nooksack Valley) hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime, but it wasn't enough as Western Washington University fell 84-81 to Western Oregon University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game Saturday at the New P.E. Building on the WOU campus.
The Vikings, who dropped to 8-4 overall, suffered their first loss in four GNAC contests this season. They also got 15 points from forward Rory Blanche (Jr., Ashland, OR) and guard Zach Henifin (Jr., Bellingham) added 10. Mitchell finished with nine points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, helping WWU to a 53-39 board advantage.
WOU, 8-2 at home this season, improved to 9-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Wolves were led by Blair Wheadon and Kyle Long, who each had 23 points. Wheadon also had seven steals.
A Blanche dunk gave WWU an 81-80 lead with 1:05 left in overtime, but with 18 seconds to go, WOU's Tarance Glynn had a steal and a layup, putting the Wolves ahead to stay, 82-81.
Following another Viking turnover, Glynn caught a full-court pass from Long and scored with five ticks left on the clock. Duty's 3-point shot at the buzzer for a tie fell short.
WOU scored the last six points of the first half to lead 47-41 at the intermission.
WWU took its first lead of the second period, 63-61, on a 3-pointer by Henifin with 7:17 left in regulation. The game was tied at 66-all with five minutes to go, but the Wolves scored six straight points for a 72-66 lead at 1:52.
A layup by Duty and a 3-pointer by Shedrick Nelson (Jr., Tacoma/Wilson) put the Vikings within one, 72-71, with just over a minute left. A Glynn layup with 16 seconds remaining gave WOU a three point advantage, 74-71, setting the stage for Mitchell's 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to go over two defenders that sent the game into overtime.
Glynn finished with seven points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for the Wolves.
Duty was 12-of-21 from the field and had nine rebounds and four steals.
WWU shot just 40.7 percent (33-81) from the floor, its second-lowest effort of the season. WOU hit 21-of-24 free throws (87.5 percent), while the Vikings made just 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) at the line.
The Vikings return home to host University of Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday (7 p.m.) in a GNAC counter.
