Salem, Ore. - Men's Basketball got the 2024-25 season off to a good start with a 113-86 win over visiting Walla Walla University.  Josiah Frank and Ryder Hsiung each scored 19 points to lead Willamette, followed by 17 from Kahiau Bruhn.  Soren Dalan was the game's high scorer, leading the Wolves with 23 points.

The game started with both teams trading baskets: Dalan's jumper and layup for the Wolves and Caleb Moore and Hsiung's layups for the Bearcats. Thanks to three-point baskets from Frank, Hsiung, and Kahiau Bruhn, Willamette pushed its lead to 17-6. The first half took on a rhythm of the Bearcats pulling away only to have the Wolves come charging back.

Walla Walla cut the lead to 25-22 on a layup by Chike Ezeonu, but two consecutive layups and a three-pointer by Frank pushed the Bearcat lead back out to double-digits at 36-22.  Dalan, who had a 17-point first half, cut the deficit to eight at 39-31 with a jumper with 6:03 left in the half.  A runner jumper at the buzzer by Kahiau Bruhn sent Willamette into halftime with a 59-45 lead.

The Bearcats maintained their fourteen-point lead through the first several minutes of the second half until the trio Kai Brown, Will Hurst, and Gavin Weisweaver put the game out of reach.  Brown made a layup off a Weiseaver steal to put Willamette up 75-59, then Hurst grabbed an offensive rebound and passed out to Weisweaver a three-pointer, followed by another steal and layup by Weisweaver and a layup by Brown to put the Bearcats in front 83-61.

The Willamette lead grew to as large as thirty-one points, the final time on a long-range jumper by Eli Looney that made the score 113-82.  The Wolves scored the final four points of the game to cut the final margin to twenty-seven.

Willamette shot just over 50% for the game (39-77) and nearly 40% from beyond the arc.  They had 24 assists on the 39 baskets with Caleb Moore leading the way with five and Josiah Frank adding four.  DJ Jones led the Bearcats with nine rebounds, while Kahiau Bruhn, Caleb Moore, and Anujan Tennathur added six rebounds each.

The Bearcats continue their homestand with games on Thursday, November 14th, against Douglas College at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 17th, against North Central College at 2:00 p.m.