Lake Larsen | Sports Editor
March 2 marked the final time the Wolves would take their home court for the 2019 regular basketball season against Saint Martin’s. Fresh off of a 60-53 win over Seattle Pacific on Feb. 28, the Wolves were ready to finish their season off with a win on senior night. With a pregame ceremony for the graduating senior players as well as for the senior dance team members coming to an end, the Wolves focused on the game ahead of them.
Due to the abysmal 8-17 record for the Wolves leading up to the night, there would be no chance for a postseason. But despite this reality, Western still took to their court with a vengeance.
The Wolves wasted no time as they jumped out to a massive lead half way into the first. A flurry of good jumpers slung Western to a 12-6 lead. This dominating burst was short-lived, however, as the Saints came marching back in the closing minutes of the first. By the end of the opening quarter, Western clung to a one-point lead.
The second quarter showed no team had a clear advantage over the other as both teams swapped the lead back and forth. Each good bucket was met with another by the opposition. But as the minutes dwindled down, Saint Martin’s went on a hot streak that carried them into halftime with a seven point lead.
The momentum gained in the closing of the first half carried into the second as the Saints again buried with Wolves with shot after shot. Saint Martin’s had taken their seven point lead and pushed it to a high of 12 before finally settling at eight.
The fourth quarter showed signs of an all too familiar final quarter of the Wolves. What started as a close match quickly devolved into utter chaos as the Saints pushed their lead higher and higher. With little resistance from Western, the score quickly got out of hand. The final buzzer had the Wolves leaving with their tail between their legs, with the final score reading 82-58.
Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu
Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton
