While most members of the Puget Sound community were partaking in a much needed break, Logger athletes were doing the farthest thing from resting. Rather, they remained on campus for practice and games as Logger athletics continues its drive for 125 wins for Puget Sound athletic programs this season.
The men’s basketball season opened on Nov. 3 with their alumni game at the Memorial Fieldhouse and has been gaining in momentum as the season has continued.
Logger basketball kicked off their official season with a 85-82 victory against New Hope Christian on Nov. 16 during the Doug McArthur Classic. It was a strong season opener that unfortunately was not repeated on Nov. 17 when Loggers suffered a 75-58 loss to University of Texas-Dallas.
The Loggers were hoping to repeat their season opener performance over the break. Unfortunately, both games resulted in Logger losses.
On Nov. 23, the men’s basketball team fell 75-69 to the undefeated Eastern Oregon during the first game of the Thanksgiving Classic at Pacific Lutheran.
The Loggers jumped to an early lead and led by as much as seven points when sophomore Erin Barber’s (Puyallup, Wash.) three-pointer pushed the lead to 13-6 in a little over five minutes.
Eastern Oregon, however, battled back and took its first lead of the game when JD Ester’s shot capped a 7-0 run in four minutes. The two teams exchanged leads over the next several minutes. Sophomore Derek Jobe (Puyallup, Wash.) reclaimed the final Logger lead of the weekend with a jumper with just over seven minutes remaining in the half.
Although the Loggers were able to score points with relative ease throughout the rest of game, Eastern Oregon pushed its lead to double digits and held off a late push from the Loggers to claim the win and remain undefeated.
The Thanksgiving Classic continued Saturday, Nov. 24 as the Loggers (1-3) fell 74-66 to Evergreen State. Although the Loggers made a run toward the end of the game, it came too late to spare the Loggers the second loss of the weekend.
In the first half, the Loggers found themselves down by 12 points after a 7-0 run from the Geoducks early in the game. The Loggers were able to cut the lead back to just six points after a layup by junior Rex Nelson (Bellevue, Wash.). However, the Geoducks were able to maintain a seven-point advantage after knocking down a late free throw.
Evergreen State maintained their momentum in the second half as they increased their lead to 27 points with just over nine minutes left on the clock. The Loggers applied full court pressure and found their groove a little too late in the game to climb back on top.
After losing the leaders of last season’s team, the Loggers have to rethink their strategy before conference play begins. However, there is plenty of experience returning to the court and a dozen talented newcomers will make an impact on the team as the season continues.
The Loggers will be taking a break but return to the Memorial Fieldhouse Dec. 4, hosting St. Scholastica.
