Lions Inside, Outside Punch Flattens Boxers

 

By Harry Cummins

     Playing their second game in two nights against the Pacific University Boxers, and without their starting center, the Multnomah University Lions parlayed the outside shooting heroics of Taylor Peppinger and Zach Richardson along with the strong inside game (13 points, 11 rebounds) of freshman Terin Johnson to square this 2-game weekend set with a wild 86-83 home win Saturday night in Portland.

     The often error-filled but hard-fought contest saw the Lions (4-2) stave off the late charging Boxers down the stretch thanks to Peppinger and Richardson, who both hit late shots from 3 point range to preserve the win.  A desperate full-court heave by Pacific fell short at the buzzer.

     Richardson, the nation's leading returning scorer, opened the game with a trio of corner 3's as the Lions jumped out to a 21-16 lead and the junior guard would finish the game with 18 points on 5 treys. Peppinger connected on 5 3-pointers as well, most of them late in the game with the outcome very much in doubt, and finished with 17 points.

      Along with his double-double night, MU freshman post Terin Johnson continues to impress with his aggressive play around the basket, as he blocked two more shots to give him eight in the last two nights. Multnomah starting center Tyrese Taylor (15.7 ppg) sat out the contest after slipping on a wet floor last night against the Boxers in Forest Grove. He is listed as day-to-day.

     Neyland Block continues to showcase a nuanced game for the Lions, narrowly missing a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds while leading the victors with 5 assists. He also turned the ball over six times as the Lions continue to have trouble protecting the basketball, ranking 183rd nationally in turnovers.

      In defeat, the Boxers evened their season record at 2-2 and were led by the 16 points and 11 rebounds of Ethan Chung.  Mario Mora and Jacob Bolger had 13 points apiece. 

     Multnomah now travels to the College of Idaho tournament next weekend where they will face a pair of formidable foes in Simpson University of California and Western Montana. The Lions of the NAIA's Cascade Collegiate Conference, continue to be a work in progress.

     The emphasis, however, remains centered on progress.

hcummins@aol.com