Sports
College Men's Basketball: Pierce Evens Record In 81-47 Victory against Centralia
Raiders looking to contend in a highly competitive NWAACC Western Division with consecutive victories.
Sian Laine scored a game-high 19 points and Pierce College routed Centralia 81-47 at home in Lakewood on Saturday.
The Raiders took an early lead and used a 44-23 advantage in the second half to bury the Trailblazers in a match of conference foes.
It was a statement win for Pierce, which has lost several games recently in which they held a lead. There was never a doubt in the match-up with Centralia, as the Raiders used a 32-10 burst to open the second half to ensure there would be no late collapses.
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“We came out knowing that we had given away a few of our last games,” Alix Hernandez said. “So, we wanted to come out and suck the life out of them and not give up another one.”
Pierce benefitted from a strong defensive performance that limited Centralia to just five assists in the game and 25 percent shooting. The Trailblazers made just seven field goals in the first half and finished 14 of 57 from the field on the game.
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Raiders' forward Michael Stepovich contributed 11 of his season-high 17 points in the first half to help guide the Raiders (9-5 overall, 2-2 Northwest Athletic Association of Community College Western Division) offense in the first half. Pierce pushed the lead to 37-21 on a three-pointer by Laine with under two minutes left and led by 14 at the break, the closest Centralia would be the rest of the way.
“We started the season 0-2 and didn’t like the feeling,” Stepovich said. “We talked at halftime and we couldn’t accept another loss.”
Pierce never had to worry about that loss, as the domination continued in the second half, with the Raiders easily pushing the lead to 36 with over nine minutes left in the game.
“We wanted to play up to our competition, instead of playing down to their level,” Laine said. “So when we got them down, we didn’t let up.”
The Raiders pulled their record even as they get ready to play Highline (10-3 overall, 3-1 division).
Pierce Athletic Director Rachel Kalac said they did what they needed to get back on the right path.
“Beating the top teams will boost team moral and help them build confidence going forward," Kalac said.