OLYMPIA, Wash. – Saint Martin’s took advantage of 22 offensive rebounds and 25 Evergreen turnover en route to a 66-50 win over the Geoducks in a men’s basketball exhibition on Tuesday night at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

The Saints took the lead just 25 seconds into the game on a jumper by Evan Coulter and never looked back as SMU would lead the rest of the way.  The lead hit double-digits with 4:47 remaining as Rei Jensen took advantage of an offensive rebound following his own missed shot to put the Saints up 20-10.  Evergreen cut the lead down to six with 2:42 left but just one more shot would go in for either team the rest of the half as a Roger O’Neill jumper gave Saint Martin’s the 24-16 halftime lead.

Both teams warmed up their shooting arms in the second half as SMU pushed the lead to 20 with 11:37 remaining in the game.  The lead got as big as 23 but the Geoducks fought back to the very end, pulling back to 15 on a tip-in by Elzie Dickens (Seattle, Wash./Highline CC) with 2:10 left to play.  The teams continued to trade baskets the rest of the way as Saint Martin’s earned the 66-50 win over the Geoducks.

Evergreen was led by another strong game from Marc Taylor (Boise, Idaho/Edmonds CC), who earned the double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, also adding four blocks on the night.  Dickens came off the bench to score 10 in the loss for the Geoducks, who made 16-of-49 attempts for 32.7%.  The Geoducks had eight blocks on the night, compared with just two for the Saints.

Saint Martin’s was led by 13 points from Coulter, who also had eight rebounds on the night.  Lucas Shannon and Jensen each chalked up 11 points in the win.  SMU shot 34.2% on the night, making 25-of-73 attempts, including 24 points off turnovers.

The Geoducks will take a lengthy break before hitting the court again on Nov. 23 when they travel to Parkland, Wash. to take on Pacific Lutheran, beginning at 8 p.m. at Olson Auditorium on the PLU campus.

Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. – Playing for the fourth time in five days, the Evergreen Geoducks couldn’t keep up with the Montana Tech Orediggers, falling 74-54 in a non-conference men’s basketball game as part of the Red Lion Cascade/Frontier Challenge on Saturday at Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, Wash.

After tipping off just about 16 hours following the end of their last game, the Geoducks struggled in the first half as Montana Tech was able to build a lead.  After Evergreen managed to keep it close in the first half, the Oredigger lead hit double digits with 4:51 left to play in the opening period on the first of two successful free throws from Quinn Smith.  Evergreen continued to struggle shooting in the remaining minutes of the half but the Diggers didn’t have the same problem, taking a 31-14 lead into the break.

The Geoducks came out ready to play in the second half as they were able to match Montana Tech point for point over the first ten minutes.  The two teams continued to play an even second half but the early deficit proved too much for Evergreen to overcome, falling to the Orediggers by a final of xx-xx

Evergreen was led by 12 points from Cody Peters (Coupeville, Wash./Western Oregon).  Marc Taylor (Boise, Idaho/Edmonds CC) added 11 points and 10 rebounds to collect his first double-double as a Geoduck.  The Geoducks forced 15 turnovers on the afternoon, converting for 18 points off turnovers.

Montana Tech was led by 15 points from Travis Peevey.  Brandon Ryberg and Daniel Simon each scored 11 in the win while Quinn Smith chalked up 10 points for the Oregdiggers.  Tech outrebounded the Geoducks, 48-31, on the game.

The Geoducks return to Olympia on Tuesday when they play host to cross-town rival Saint Martin’s in a men’s/women’s exhibition doubleheader.  The Saint and Geoduck women will tip at 6 p.m., followed by the men at about 8 p.m.

Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. – After holding a lead early, the Great Falls Argonauts slipped back into the lead in the closing minutes, defeating the Evergreen Geoducks, 64-61, in a non-conference men’s basketball game as part of the Red Lion Cascade/Frontier Challenge on Friday night at Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, Wash.

Great Falls used a great start to build a 10-2 lead but the Geoducks fought back, pulling back within five on a three-ball by KJ Hong (Federal Way, Wash./Shoreline CC) with 14:49 to go in the first half. Senior Elzie Dickens (Seattle, Wash./Highline CC) go the Geoducks within two with 12:58 left to play as Evergreen continued to battle.

The Argos went on a bit of a run towards the midpoint of the first half, pushing the lead back to nine with 10:48 left in the opening half.  Evergreen fought back to get within one with 7:00 left to go on a free throw by Cody Peters (Coupeville, Wash./Western Oregon).  The Geoducks took their first lead of the game with just over six minutes left on a jumper by Darryl Jordan (Portsmouth, Va./Bluefield College).

Both teams continued to battle for the remainder of the first half as a three-pointer by Hong with 51 seconds left gave the Geoducks a 36-33 lead heading into the break, their first halftime lead in the last 22 games.  Evergreen shot 46.67% in the first half, compared with 41.38% by Great Falls.  The Geoducks also held a 24-14 advantage on the boards in the opening period.

In the second half, the Argos tied the game back up with a pair of free throws at 15:19 but the Geoducks answered right back on a Peters’ three-pointer.  The Geoducks continued to push the lead, pulling ahead by eight with 13:13 remaining, forcing UGF to take a time out.

The Argos tied up the game with 5:14 left on a jumper by Marcel Towns that knotted the game at 57 all and then took a one-point lead on the back-end of a pair of free throws with 4:06 remaining in the second half.  Hong hit a jumper with 2:08 that tied the game back up at 61 entering the final minutes of the game.

With time ticking down, Great Falls managed a free throw by Miguel Bocachica and then a jumper by TJ Harris with just six second left to put the Argos up by three.  The Geoducks had one final chance to force overtime but the three-point shot by Peters didn’t fall, allowing UGF to escape with a 64-61 win.

Evergreen was led by 17 points from Hong, including four baskets from behind the arc.  Peters finished with 15 points on the night.  The Geoducks finished the game shooting 38.9% from the field and outrebounding the Argos, 39-30, on the night.

Great Falls was led by 18 points from Towns.  Holmes finished with 14 points while Bocachica chipped in 11 points in the win.  The Argos made 21-of-50 attempts for the night and were aided by 20-of-33 free throws following 21 fouls called on the Geoducks, compared with just 14 for UGF.

The Geoducks are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they take Montana Tech as part of the Red Lion Cascade/Frontier Challenge.  Tip with the Orediggers is set for 2 p.m. at Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, Wash.

Box Score

SEATTLE – Playing in the same building that the green and gold Seattle Supersonics called home, the green and white Evergreen Geoducks struggled against the NCAA Division I Seattle Redhawks, falling  117-34, in a men’s basketball exhibition on Tuesday night at KeyArena in Seattle, Wash.

In the first half, the Geoducks got their first points of the night early on a jumper by Lucky Lagerberg (Olympia, Wash./South Puget Sound CC) with 17:15 left to play in the period.  Evergreen didn’t get another point for nearly five minutes when Cody Peters (Coupeville, Wash./Western Oregon Univ.) fit the first of two free throws.

The Redhawks rattled off 38 straight points before the Geoducks would score again but a jumper by Lagerberg brought the house down with 4:50 left in the opening period as everyone in the building cheered for the green and white.  The Geoducks’ final point of the first half came with 2:06 left to go on a free throw by Jordan Emerson (Baton Rouge, La./Wenatchee Valley CC) as Seattle took a 61-6 lead into the break.

Evergreen warmed up slightly in the second half but the DI Redhawks continued to be too much for the Geoducks to handle as the Redhawks continued to shoot well en route to the 117-34 win.

The Geoducks were led by nine points off the bench from Peters.  Elzie Dickens (Seattle, Wash./Highline CC) had a team-high five rebounds and two blocks on the night.  After shooing just two-of-30 in the first half, Evergreen managed 25.0% shooting in the second half, making eight of 32 attempts, including three from behind the arc.

Seattle was led by 20 points each off the bench from Chad Rasmussen and Allen Tate.  D’Vonne Pickett Jr. added 13 points while Louis Green  earned the double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  The Redhawks outrebounded the Geoducks, 65 to 27.

The Geoducks return to action on Friday night when they take on Great Falls as part of the Red Lion Cascade/Frontier Challenge.  Tip with the Argos is set for 8 p.m. at Spokane Falls Community College.