Tyrell Lewis had game highs of 29 points and 17 rebounds, and his two free throws with 17.5 seconds left helped third-ranked Pierce College finally put away No. 5 Tacoma CC with a 78-72 victory in Lakewood.
The Raiders (17-4 overall, 9-1 NWAACC West) have won eight games in a row, avenging an earlier loss to the defending NWAACC champions in Tacoma. They now hold a two-game lead in the division.
TCC (13-8, 7-3), which never led, got 16 points from Jibreel Stevens, and 15 from Darius Johnson-Wilson.
A number of times, Pierce ran out to leads as large as 13, only to be reeled in by the Titans, whose 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range kept them close enough for a late-game run.
And they scored on five consecutive possessions, capping a 10-2 run with Damani Coley’s inside bucket, to cut their deficit to 72-70 with 3:01 remaining.
But TCC blew its chance at victory with three turnovers on its next four trips.
“Tonight was really important for us because we had to play a possession game,” Pierce coach Bill Mendelson said. “Every possession mattered, and (we) made some plays – and made some stops at the other end.”
Puget Sound 78, at Willamette 70: With the game close, Dan Cheledinas sank a 3-pointer with 37 seconds to go, and the Loggers (8-13, 3-9 Northwest Conference) beat the Bearcats. AJ Maw led the Loggers with 19 points.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tacoma CC 57, at Pierce College 49: Angie Sanchez scored 26 points, and her turnaround 13-foot jump shot as the shot clock expired with 1:50 to play was the clincher as the Titans (10-7, 6-3 NWAACC West) swept the Raiders (9-12, 5-5) in Lakewood.
UPS 82, at Willamette 59: The Loggers (12-9, 5-7 NWC) scored the first six points and never trailed as four starters scored in double figures, led by Amanda Forshay’s 15 points, in the victory over the Bearcats.
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