Boydell Scores 17 or More Points for 9th Straight Game with 24 in Loss to Lutes

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Jack Boydell (Sr., F, Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley HS) of Willamette University scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Josiah Frank (So., G, Turlock, CA/John H. Pitman HS) provided 19 points and six boards, but Pacific Lutheran University defeated the Bearcats, 102-86, on Friday, Jan. 13 in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game. Boydell registered 17 or more points for the ninth consecutive game, dating back to Nov. 26 when he scored 22 points at Whittier College (Calif.).

Boydell has scored at least 20 points eight times this season, including a career-high 34 points against Multnomah University (Ore.) on Nov. 15. He has scored in double digits in 12 of 13 games. Frank has scored 19 or more points in each of the last three games and in five games this season.

On Friday, the efforts of Boydell and Frank were offset by Sean McCurdy of PLU, who led all players with 30 points and 10 rebounds. He was 13 for 21 on field goals. McCurdy was joined in double figures by Brandin Riedel with 17 points, Sam Noland with 14, and Jackson Reisner with 11. Noland hauled down six rebounds, while Shane McGaughey-Fick was credited with 11 assists and three steals. Riedel and McGaughey-Fick each grabbed five boards.

Boydell hit 8 of 17 field goals and was 3 for 6 on 3-point shots on his way to 24 points. In addition to his scoring and rebounding, he achieved four assists and two steals. Frank used 8-for-15 shooting as he earned his 19 points. Boydell was 5 for 6 at the free throw line and Frank went 3 of 4.

Kenny Wright Jr. (Jr., G, Dallas, TX/R.L. Turner HS) and Mitch Lind (Fy., G, Midway, UT/Wasatch HS) each scored 11 points for the Bearcats, while Paul McSlarrow (Jr., W, Sandy, UT/The Waterford School) finished with nine points. Ryder Hsiung (So., G, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) provided three steals.

Pacific Lutheran improved to 7-7 on the season, 1-4 in the NWC. Willamette slipped to 5-8 overall, 1-4 in the NWC.

The Lutes surged out to an early lead and held an 11-2 advantage after Noland sank a 3-pointer with 16:28 remaining in the half. PLU scored 11 of the next 18 points to increase the lead to 22-9 with 13:24 left. Willamette erased the lead with a 14-0 surge by the Bearcats to grab a 23-22 lead at the 10:34 mark. The run included scoring by four Bearcats, including 3-point baskets by Lind and McSlarrow. Lind led the way with five points during the outburst, while Boydell tallied four points. Wright Jr. completed the run with a steal and a layup.

McCurdy hit a 3-pointer with 9:50 on the clock, as the Lutes moved back in front 25-23, but Hsiung tied the game with a layup just over a minute later. The Lutes followed up by creating a 9-0 run, starting with a 3-pointer by Mack Hepper. Frank stopped the run with a layup for WU, but Pacific Lutheran countered with a layup by Croix Sweeney and another trifecta by Hepper for a 39-27 edge with 6:04 left in the half. Willamette reduced the margin to 44-38 on a rebound and put-back by Hsiung with 2:06 to play, and the Bearcats moved within 49-46 on a 3-pointer from McSlarrow with 11 seconds on the clock.

A turn-around jumper by Boydell, a 3-point shot by Wright Jr., and a layup from Frank gave WU a 6-0 run to open the second half, as the Bearcats took a 53-49 lead. The Lutes tacked on a 5-0 surge before Wright Jr. returned the lead to Willamette at 55-54 on a layup with 17:23  remaining.

Riedel put through a layup after securing an offensive rebound on PLU's next possession, giving the Lutes a one-point edge. PLU added five points for a 61-55 advantage with 15:21 to go and held the lead for the rest of the game. Even so, Willamette scored four points in a row to pull within 61-59 and the Bearcats trailed by just four points at 75-71 following a layup by Boydell with 8:57 to go.

PLU went on a 10-1 run to increase the margin to 85-71 at the 6:23 mark. Willamette reduced the lead to 89-79 after Wright Jr. scored on a fast-break layup for the Bearcats with 4:28 left, but Pacific Lutheran scored 10 of the next 12 points to take control.

For the game, Pacific Lutheran shot 60.9% from the field (39 of 64), while hitting 11 of 25 three-point attempts (44.0%). Willamette connected on 33 of 76 field goals (43.4%) and made 8 of 22 three-pointers (36.4%). The Lutes recorded a 37-34 rebounding margin, and forced WU into 13 turnovers, while PLU lost the ball just six times.

The Bearcats will host Pacific University at Cone Field House on Saturday, Jan. 14. Tipoff in Salem, Oregon, is set for 6 p.m. (PST).