Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer
This past week was another showing of why the Wolves’s men’s basketball team is one of the premier groups across the country, as they picked up another two wins on Feb. 8 and 10 to add to their streak.
On Thursday, Feb. 8, Seattle Pacific was the next team tasked with the challenge of stopping the Wolves’s winning streak. Although the game was tied at halftime, the Wolves were able to capture a 95-81 victory.
During the first half, the Wolves received an offensive explosion from senior forward Tanner Omlid, who dropped 22 points in the opening 20 minutes. With Omlid shouldering the load in the first half, the Wolves started off the second half tied, 48-48.
Seattle Pacific showed that this game was not going to be easy in the first half, but the Wolves were able to make adjustments. During the first two quarters, both teams were shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
The second half was a different story defensively, as the Wolves locked down and forced a 34.6 field goal percentage. Offensively, the team was lead by another outburst, this time by the hands of senior Ali Faruq-Bey. Scoring 17 points in the second half, Faruq-Bey was able to push his total to 25, and along with Omlid’s 32 points, the combo’s firepower proved too much to overcome.
During Saturday’s game against Saint Martin’s on Feb. 10, the Wolves were able to grab their 16th straight win. After jumping out to a 45-37 halftime lead, the lead extended to 25 just ten minutes later.
Saint Martins cut the deficit nearly in half as the game went on, but nothing close to what was needed to get the upset. Faruq-Bey had another high scoring game, this time netting 24 points.
On Thursday, Feb. 15, Western travels to Idaho to take on Northwest Nazarene.
And on Feb. 17, Central Washington will get a chance took take on the Wolves as their win streak looks to continue. Both games are set to begin at 7 p.m.
Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu
Photo by: Paul F. Davis
