Raiders Fall in Overtime at Centralia

The Pierce Raiders men’s basketball team battled through regulation and into overtime but came up just short in a 75-71 loss to the Centralia Trailblazers on Wednesday, January 28, at Centralia College.

Pierce carried a five-point advantage into halftime, but Centralia responded by outscoring the Raiders 32-27 in the second half to knot the game at 64 at the end of regulation. In overtime, Pierce was held to seven points while the Trailblazers scored 11 to pull away for the four-point win.

Mande Wanlemvo led Pierce with a double-double, finishing with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while playing 43 minutes. Ishe Kanhukamwe added a team-high 18 points, knocking down four three-pointers and logging 40 minutes. Dylan Jay chipped in 12 points, while Josiah Gopaul contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Isaac Norris played a key role as a facilitator, recording eight assists to go along with four rebounds and a block.

With the loss, the Raiders move to 4–15 overall and 3–4 in NWAC West Region play.

Up Next: After the bye week for the Raiders, Pierce will travel to Grays Harbor on Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00pm.