Starting 5 Leads Gators to NWAC Finals, Defeat Portland 91-72
PASCO, Wash. – The Green River Gators have advanced to their first NWAC Finals since 2003 as they defeated the Portland Panthers 91-72 in the Final 4 of the NWAC Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Golf Universe, on Saturday afternoon at Columbia Basin College.
A fast-paced contest from the opening tip-off, the game featured 79 attempted three pointers with 28 made with just 11 personal fouls and only eight total free throw attempts. Impressively, the Gators attempted 82 field goals in the game without a free throw attempt.
After leading by just five in a lightning quick first half, the Gators used a 12-0 run mid-way through the second half to pull away from PCC, never letting the lead slip under 10 points for the final nine minutes of the game.
Green River's (26-6) starting five played all but 14 total minutes in the game, totaling 88 of the team's 91 points. West Region Player of the Year Jaiden Feroah continued his tournament dominance with 28 points and seven rebounds. All four of his starting teammates scored in double-digits as Kameron Bender added 17, Tyler Burraston had 16, Peyton Nordland scored 14 and Clayton Whitman finished with 13. Nordland also had six assists, six rebounds and three steals while Whitman had a double-double with 13 boards to go with six assists.
Portland shot the ball well overall, especially in the first half when they connected on 10 made three pointers, shooting 45.5 percent. The Panthers' shooting cooled off in the second half, but they still made 15 three pointers for the game and shot 42.9 percent from the floor overall.
South Region MVP Jahvari Martino was electric for PCC with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five steals. Josh Lincoln had 15 points while Kyle Gruhler and Hayden Rose each added 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists apiece.
The Gators head to the championship game to be played on Sunday at 2 p.m., facing the winner of Skagit Valley and Tacoma. Green River will look for their first conference title since prior to the NWAC forming, back in 1969 when they were members of the Washington Athletic Association of Community Colleges (WAACC).