PORTLAND, Ore. — The Southwestern University Pirates men's basketball team concluded its trip to Oregon with a second loss, falling to the Lewis and Clark University Pioneers 73-63.
Three Pirates scored in double figures, led by Brandon Alexander's 16 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7-for-14 from the field and 2-for-5 from the 3-point line. Kyle Howard added 10 points on eight shots and Kyle Poerschke had 12 points on eight shots off the bench.
Most of the rest of the Southwestern University roster struggled offensively, shooting just 39.7 percent as a team and 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) from the free-throw line. The Pirates' offense was buoyed some from behind the 3-point line, where Southwestern shot 7-for-18 (38.9 percent).
Southwestern University's biggest problems came on the defensive end, where the Pirates allowed a 42-26 Pioneers' advantage in points in the paint, surrendering 51.7 percent shooting from the field, including 7-for-16 shooting (43.8 percent) from deep.
Zeke Crawford did most of the damage for Lewis and Clark, working inside for 22 points on 11-for-16 shooting and eight rebounds. Mak Hutson contributed 10 points and six assists as the only other Pioneer in double figures. Kody Kennedy contributed nine points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Crawford was on fire early, scoring 12 points in the first half on 6-for-8 shooting to give the Pioneers a 33-29 lead at the break. The Pirates struggled from the field, shooting 36.7 percent in the first half, but got a good boost from Poerschke, who scored eight of his 12 points before the break.
The Pioneers opened the second half on a 31-13 run, taking a 22-point lead at 64-42 with 7:44 remaining. The Pirates shot 42.4 percent in the second half, including a 4-for-7 performance from deep, but surrendered 55.2 percent shooting to Pioneers with Crawford shooting 5-for-8.
With the loss, the Pirates drop to 3-5 this season while Lewis and Clark pick up their first win at 1-6. Southwestern University will return home to begin conference play next weekend, hosting Johnson & Wales University on Saturday, Dec. 15 and Colorado College on Sunday, Dec. 16. Both games will be at 3:00 p.m.