Raiders Fall to Highline in West Region Battle

The Pierce Raiders men’s basketball team dropped a conference matchup to the Highline Thunderbirds on Saturday, February 7th, falling 86-66.

Highline built momentum late in the first half to take a 38-30 lead into the break. The Thunderbirds continued their offensive push in the second half, scoring 48 points to Pierce’s 36 to secure the win. Despite the result, the Raiders saw several strong individual performances.

Mande Wanlemvo led Pierce with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting while adding eight rebounds and three assists. Isaac Norris delivered a well-rounded performance with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Dylan Jay contributed 11 points and six rebounds across 40 minutes of action.

Josiah Gopaul anchored the glass with eight rebounds to go along with four points and a block, while Jonah Bell added five points and two assists. Off the bench, Andrew Lowe knocked down two three-pointers to finish with six points, and Wyatt Ulsh chipped in four points and two rebounds.

As a team, the Raiders shot 25-of-68 (36.8%) from the field and 5-of-23 (21.7%) from beyond the arc, while converting 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the free throw line. Pierce battled on the boards with 41 total rebounds, including 18 offensive boards, and committed just nine turnovers in the contest.

Up Next: Pierce will head to Lower Columbia on Wednesday, February 11th for a 5:30pm tipoff. In their last meeting, Pierce defeated the 2025 NWAC Champions at home by a score of 89-77.