By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Jack Boydell (Grad., W, Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley HS) scored a game-high 26 points and Willamette University rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to lead for much of the second half, but Evergreen State College slipped past the Bearcats, 85-82, on Friday, Nov. 10 at Cone Field House. It was the season opener for the Bearcats who fell to 0-1. The Geoducks improved to 1-2 on the season.

Willamette competes in NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference. Evergreen State is a member of the NAIA and the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

The Bearcats will be back on Gordie James Court at Cone Field House on Saturday, Nov. 11 against Oglethorpe University from Georgia. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. PST. It will be Willamette's last home game until Dec. 9 against Douglas College (Canada). In between, WU will play six road games, including five regular season games and an exhibition game at the University of Portland.

In Friday's game, Willamette led 8-4 after a traditional three-point play by Caleb Moore (So., G, Wadley, GA/Washington County HS/Bard College) at the 17:09 mark. The Bearcats later held a 13-10 advantage following a layup by Gavin Rippere (Sr., F, Salinas, CA/Salinas HS/Clark College) with 13:48 on the clock. WU expanded the margin to 17-11 on a layup Gavin Weisweaver (Jr., G, Boise, ID/Vallivue HS/Treasure Valley CC) and led 19-13 following a driving layup by Moore.

Evergreen State answered with a 9-0 run to grab a 22-19 lead following a 3-point basket by Daniel Thomas with 8:03 left in the half. Moore added a field goal for Willamette to cut the margin to a single point at 22-21, but the Geoducks ended the half with a 14-4 surge that included 12 points by Jayden Upshaw, including two 3-pointers. Upshaw only scored during the run and finished the game with 12 points. Evergreen State owned a 36-25 lead at the break.

The Bearcats stormed back in the second half. Willamette zoomed out of the break with a 13-2 run to cut the margin to 38-36. Boydell scored eight points during the run. WU took a 41-40 lead on a layup and a foul shot by Ryder Hsiung (Jr., G, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) with 14:50 remaining. Mubarak Michael of Evergreen put the Geoducks into the lead with a 3-point basket, but the Bearcats countered with an 8-2 run to claim a 49-43 lead after Josiah Frank (Jr., G, Turlock, CA/John H. Pitman HS) completed the run with an offensive rebound and a layup.

Willamette eventually increased its lead to 10 points at 63-53 with 8:23 to go after Frank sank 1 of 2 free throws. The Geoducks tallied 10 of the next 12 points to reduce WU's advantage to 65-63 at the 6:11 mark. Weisweaver added a 3-pointer for Willamette with 5:47 left for a 68-63 edge.

The Bearcats led by six points, 73-67, after Boydell hit a 3-pointer with 3:43 to go, but Evergreen State tied the game at 75-75 on a layup from Tyler Williford with 1:18 on the clock. Mubarak Michael added two free throws for the Geoducks with 46.1 seconds to play, as the visitors grabbed a 77-75 lead. Two more free throws by Mubarak Michael with 28 seconds left gave Evergreen a 79-75 edge. Moore sank a driving layup for WU with 19 seconds remaining to pull within 79-77.

Evergreen State eventually held an 83-79 lead before Hsiung of Willamette scored on a 3-point shot with one second left. Deondre Russ of Evergreen was fouled on the in-bounds play and hit both free throws to give the Geoducks an 85-82 final margin.

Boydell's 16 points led the Bearcats, while Hsiung tacked on 16 points and five rebounds. Frank scored 14 points and Moore contributed 13 points. Rippere and D'Ante Dean (Jr., F, Nassau, Bahamas/British Columbia Christian Academy/Peninsula College) each topped the Bearcats with nine rebounds. Kahiau Bruhn (So., W, Waimanola, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) provided seven boards. Frank earned four assists and Weisweaver supplied four steals.

Mubarak Michael scored a team-high 13 points for Evergreen State. Upshaw, Ellijah McLaughlin, and Luke Brewer each tallied 12 points for the Geoducks. Williford hauled down eight rebounds.

The Geoducks shot 43.1% for the game (28 of 65) and made 10 of 20 three-pointers (50.0%). Willamette connected on 37.5% of its shots (27 of 72) and hit 8 of 34 from 3-point range (23.5%). The Bearcats held a 46-45 rebounding edge.