Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Washington junior forward Jeffrey Parker scored a game-high 25 points to lead four players in double-figures, but it wasn't enough as the Vikings were dealt an 80-76 loss at Concordia Saturday night in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game at Cavalier Gymnasium.

Western recorded its fourth consecutive loss to fall to 14-11 overall and remains in 6th place in the GNAC with an 8-8 league mark. Three of the four losses during the current streak have been by 5-or-fewer points. Concordia snapped its three-game losing streak to improve to 6-17 overall and 5-11 in GNAC play.

The Vikings and Cavaliers were tied 37-37 at halftime and were locked in a back-and-forth affair through much of the second half. Western led by as many as 5 points early in the second half at 45-40, but Concordia quickly erased the deficit with a 7-0 run. The game was again tied at 68-68 (the 11th tie score of the game), but CU answered with a jumper by Drew Martin and layup by Riley Hawken to take a 72-68 lead and never trailed the rest of the way.

Western got to within 2 points at 77-75 after a three-pointer by Trey Drechsel with 21-seconds remaining, but the comeback came up short hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to claim the victory.

Parker (Richmond, CA/Salesian) led the Vikings with 25 points going 10-for-21 from the field (5-for-13 3-pointers) while playing all 40 minutes. The junior added 8 rebounds and one blocked shot. With his 25-point effort he moved into 16th place in the WWU record books with 1,261 career points, passing Shelton Diggs (1,251) and is one point short of No. 15 in the WWU annals (Richard Woodworth, 2,262).

Also scoring in double-digits for the Vikings was senior guard Kyle Impero (Everson, WA/Nooksack Valley/Whatcom CC) with 17 points, redshirt freshman Trey Drechsel (Woodinville, WA/Cedar Park Christian) with 16 points and senior point guard Ricardo Maxwell (Cincinnati, OH/Withrow/Edmonds CC) with 13 points.

The Cavaliers were led by a double-double from guard Drew Martin (15 points, 10 rebounds) and 22 points from forward Riley Hawken.

The Vikings held a 35-27 lead late in the first half, but Concordia closed out the half on a 10-2 run to pull even at 37-37. Latrell Wilson hit a three-pointers with 6-seconds left in the half to tie the game going into the break. Parker led all players with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, while Impero added 10 points going 5-for-6 from the field. Martin and Wilson led the Cavaliers with 9 points apiece.

The Vikings (14-11, 8-8 GNAC) return to action next weekend hosting rival Central Washington Thursday at Whatcom Pavilion (7 pm) and Northwest Nazarene Saturday at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon (7:30 pm).