McSlarrow Hits Seven 3-Pointers as Bearcats Soar Past Douglas (Canada), 98-66

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Jack Boydell (Sr., F, Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley HS) led all players with 26 points and Paul McSlarrow (Jr., W, Sandy, UT/The Waterford School) connected on seven 3-point shots, as Willamette University rolled past Douglas College (Canada), 98-66, on Friday, Dec. 30 at Cone Field House. The Bearcats owned a 46-27 advantage at halftime.

Willamette advanced its record to 4-6 overall. Douglas, from New Westminster, British Columbia, fell to 2-8 overall, 0-4 against NCAA opponents.

Boydell has scored more than 20 points in six games this year, including five of WU's last six contests. He tallied 34 points versus Multnomah University (Ore.) on Nov. 15. McSlarrow's seven 3-pointers tied him for eighth on Willamette's single game list. The school record of nine 3-pointers was set twice by Nik Lubisich against George Fox University on Jan. 16, 2001 and versus Pacific University on Feb. 16, 2001.

Against Douglas on Friday, the Bearcats hit a total of 22 three-pointers during the game, finishing one short of the school record of 23, set against Northwest Indian College on Jan. 12. 2019.

Boydell was 11 of 16 on field goals and made 4 of 7 three-point attempts. He led the Bearcats with three steals. McSlarrow was 7 for 12 from behind the 3-point line to score all of his 21 points. He also earned five rebounds and two assists.

Ryder Hsiung (Jr., G, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) registered 14 points for the Bearcats while sinking 4 of 8 three-point shots. O'Neil Drury (Fy., G, Ojai, CA/Rio Mesa HS) supplied 10 points. Josiah Frank (So., G, Turlock, CA/John H. Pitman HS) contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Levi Basurto (Fy., W, Lahaina, HI/Maui Preparatory Academy) led Willamette with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Hsiung added six boards and seven assists. 

Gurek Sran was the top scorer for Douglas with 20 points as he converted 7 of 13 field goal attempts and made 6 of 10 free throws. Sran also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds. Jeevan Sidhu provided the Royals with 12 points and five boards, while Luca Bonamici earned 11 points and hit three 3-pointers. Tanner French was credited with seven rebounds.

Willamette held the Royals to just 23 field goals on 68 attempts (33.8%). Douglas was 6 for 30 (20.0%) from 3-point range. The Royals went 14 for 26 (56.0%) at the free throw line. WU put through 41.1% of its shots from the field (37 of 90), including 22 of 51 from long range (43.1%), and sank 2 of 3 free throws.

The Bearcats outrebounded Douglas 53-50 and blocked seven of the Royals' shots. Willamette forced the visitors into 21 turnovers. The Bearcats lost the ball 15 times.

Boydell scored the first basket on a layup 32 seconds into the game. Sran made one free throw for Douglas and then Boydell added a 3-pointer for a 5-1 lead less than a minute after the opening tipoff. WU led 5-4  after Bonamici hit two free throws at the 15:56 mark and held a 12-10 margin with 12:26 on the clock.

A pair of 3-pointers by McSlarrow, one trifecta by Hsiung, and a jumper by Frank helped WU surge out to a 23-12 lead. Douglas scored the next two baskets on shots by Sidhu and Ethan Baron, but the Bearcats countered with a 9-0 run on 3-pointers by Boydell and Mason Hoffman (Jr., F, Sammamish, WA/Seattle Preparatory School), plus a layup from Boydell, to extend the margin to 31-16 with 6:37 left.

Later, a layup by Gerard Pamintuan completed a 7-0 surge by the Royals to cut the lead to 31-23 with 3:53 to go in the half. WU responded with a 15-0 run that ended with a string of three 3-point baskets by McSlarrow to give the Bearcats a 46-23 advantage. Douglas tallied the last four points of the half.

The Royals pulled within 52-36 on a 3-point shot by Bonamici with 15:56 remaining in the game. Hsiung and Sidhu each added a 3-pointer for their respective teams before WU went on a 22-5 run that pushed the lead to 33 points at 74-41 at the 11:37 mark. Boydell scored the last 11 points during the offensive outburst, including a pair of layups, a dunk, and a 3-pointer.

Willamette will return to action with a Northwest Conference game at Linfield University on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Game time in McMinnville, Oregon, is set for 8 p.m. (PST).