HAVRE, Mont. — Walla Walla University men's basketball opened its Montana road trip Friday afternoon with a 68-56 loss to Montana State-Northern. The Wolves struggled offensively in the first half but responded with a stronger second-half performance, outscoring the Lights 34-23 over the final 20 minutes.
Walla Walla (0-1) was led by
Soren Dalan, who finished with a team-high 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Amaar Coleman added nine points off the bench, while
Rajdeep Singh and
Hamilton Craik contributed eight points apiece.
Montana State-Northern (1-0) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before Singh connected on a 3-pointer to put the Wolves on the scoreboard. Walla Walla battled back, cutting the deficit to six points following a layup by Craik with 13:41 remaining in the first half.
The Lights responded with a scoring run, extending their lead to double digits midway through the period. Montana State-Northern continued to build its advantage behind efficient shooting and strong rebounding, taking a 45-22 lead into halftime.
The Wolves came out strong in the second half.
Kiearon Marshall opened the half with a 3-pointer, followed by a layup from Dalan to cut into the deficit. Walla Walla continued to find offensive opportunities, with
Treyvan Wilkerson connecting from beyond the arc and Craik contributing inside.
Walla Walla's defense also improved significantly after halftime, holding Montana State-Northern to 25.9% shooting in the second half after the Lights shot 50% in the opening half.
The Wolves committed just two turnovers in the second half after recording 11 in the first half. Walla Walla also improved its shooting percentage from 27.6% in the opening half to 38.2% after halftime.
"We took steps, big improvement from this game to the last and even between the first and second half. We're starting to put things together," Walla Walla head coach
Tyreek Luckett said.
Walla Walla finished the contest shooting 33.3% from the field and 25% from 3-point range. Montana State-Northern shot 40% overall and held a 45-30 advantage in rebounds.
Luke Holecek led the Lights with 14 points, while Cinque Maxwell added 12. Austin Ramos contributed eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
UP NEXT
The Wolves will face the University of Providence on Saturday, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. MDT.
