College Place, Wash. | Points came at a surplus tonight for the Warner Pacific University Men's Basketball team (9-6, 5-2), as they defeated Walla Walla University (2-12, 1-6) to clinch their fifth win of the season on an 89-71 blowout win over the Wolves on Windemuth Court.

With their worst offensive showing of the season in the rearview mirror, the Knights came out of the gate to play an extremely effective first half of basketball. Along with outrebounding the Wolves 19-18, Warner Pacific turned the ball over only twice in the first half, tying their lowest turnover total in an opening half this season.

The big men duo of centers Christian Hodge and Justice DeCorsi commanded the rebounding control for WPU, accounting for six and five rebounds to open the contest, respectively. Sophomore guard Tyrese Yussuf-Willis helped the Knights account for 10 first half assists, leading the charge with three dimes.

After failing to make a single three-pointer in the first half last night, Warner Pacific caught fire in the first 20 minutes tonight against the Wolves, connecting on 50% of their attempted three-point field goals. Freshman guard Nigel Guard continued to shoot the ball at will, hitting four of seven three-point attempts before the halftime break.

Partner their highly efficient from beyond the arc with hitting 45% of their overall field goals as a team in the first half, and Warner Pacific saw themselves with a nine-point halftime lead over WWU.

The Wolves and Knights opened the second half by exchanging blow-for-blow, trading baskets for the first five minutes to sit at 58-49 with Warner Pacific out in front of host Walla Walla. After both teams began the first half going on separate runs to keep the lead within single digits, neither team could grow, nor cut into the WPU nine-point lead.

Following a brief Walla Walla run, the Knights went on an elongated run of their own, stretching the lead to 16 points after a fast break layup to leave the Wolves looking at a 70-54 deficit with under 10 minutes remaining. A majority of Warner Pacific's success on the defensive end of this run came from their game-long commitment not to commit fouls, as the Knights had committed just six fouls over 30 minutes of action.

Down the stretch, the Wolves just didn't have an answer for the Knights, as Warner Pacific continued to stretch their lead to the eventual 18-point margin of victory, leaving their delayed conference road trip on a winning note.

Knights' senior guard Drew Magaoay continues to provide Warner Pacific with the leadership needed to find themselves in victory formation, as the 6'2 Shoreline, Wash. native dropped 12 points with eight rebounds and six assists to compete for the team lead in each statistical category, coming out on top with his game-high assist total.

Senior forward Darius Traylor matched Magaoay with 12 points of his own, bringing down nine rebounds along the way to lead all players in tonight's matchup with the Wolves in just 13 minutes played.

With a shortened bench due to Covid-19 protocols, Walla Walla was led in scoring by star guard Zayne Browning with a game-high 25 points, all while securing eight rebounds and three steals in his complete game. All but one of the Wolves' starters finished the game in double figures for scoring, but were unable to find the rhythm needed to take down the Knights on their home court.

Warner Pacific will take a short week of practice to prepare for their next conference road trip, as they will play the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers at Quinn Coliseum this upcoming Friday. Tipoff is set for 7:30pm PDT, following the completion of the WPU vs EOU women's basketball game.