Walla Walla Community College got up 10 at intermission on Blue Mountain Community College here Saturday in NWAC East Region men’s basketball action. The Timberwolves came back to take the lead, but a Mason Schutt 3-ball with 19 ticks left in the game gave the Warriors the lead for good. WWCC added a very late free throw and pulled out its third win in a row with a 67-65 victory over Blue Mountain.
“We led the whole game and a lot of time by double digits,” Warriors coach Jeff Reinland said. “We went ice cold and got down three. Beau Tilleman made an old-fashion 3-point play to get us even, but they scored and Schutt hit the big 3.”
The Warriors hit 44 percent from the floor in building the 35-25 lead at intermission. But, only hit 33 percent in the second half as the Timberwolves clawed back in.
“Give Blue credit, they played right with us,” Reinland added. “We did some nice things against their zone, but couldn’t get the shots to fall (9-of 38 from 3).”
Payton Radliff led all scorers on four-of-nine from beyond the arc to finish with a game high 18 points. Radliff topped his afternoon with a game-high 12 rebounds and three assists.
Tilleman added 10 points to the Warrior cause and both Schutt and Roman McKnight, who played despite suffering from the flu, scored nine each.
The Warriors improve to 4-4 in the East and move into a tie with Columbia Basin for the all important fourth playoff spot.
“Every team is trying to make the playoffs,” Reinland said. “Both teams (tonight) had trouble scoring. We’ll take the win and go with it.”
The Warrior host third-place, 5-3, Yakima Valley Wednesday in the Dietrich Dome.
