Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. - Evergreen had a look at a game-tying three-point shot inside the final three seconds but came up empty and ended up losing a 77-74 decision Saturday night to tournament host Lewis & Clark in the finale of the Bon Appetit NWC Tipoff Classic at Pamplin Sports Center.

The Geoducks are now 1-2 for the season while the Pioneers improve their record to 2-0.

Trailing by 13 points early in the second half, the Evergreen men battled to take the game down to its final possession. With Lewis & Clark providing heavy defensive pressure, Alix Hernandez had to force up a 28-footer that failed to draw iron. The Pioneers then ran out the final 1.2 seconds to secure the win.

Early in both periods, the hosts seemed on the verge of pulling away. Lewis & Clark pounded the ball inside to 6-7, 220-pound Bradley Carter, who scored 10 of his 13 total points in the opening half. In fact, Carter scored the game's first three points on a layup and foul shot. Add in a trio of three-point baskets - their only three in 14 first-half attempts - and the Pioneers were on top 18-9 with 13:38 showing on the clock.

The Geoducks responded by scoring nine of the next 11 points with Jordan Rawls, Jordan Dam and Frankie Johnson draining three-point field goals, and they eventually tied the score at 22-22 with 10:53 remaining on David Weatherspoon's rebound basket. When Weatherspoon hit a jump shot at the 7:26 mark, the Geoducks led 27-26, their only advantage of the game. 

The host Pioneers closed the half outscoring Evergreen 13-5 to take a 39-32 lead into the intermission.

Again the host Pioneers used their superior height and bulk on the front line early in the second half to take their first double-digit lead. Carl Appleton, built more like a linebacker than a college basketball player, showed a soft touch on a mid-range jumper and then made a nice entry pass leading to a layup and a 57-44 Pioneers lead in the opening minutes of the period.

The Geoducks were hardly done, however, whittling away at their deficit behind the scoring of Kortney Darby. At the 10-minute mark Evergreen had pulled to within 57-53, but then it was the Pioneers' turn, scoring six straight to lead 63-53 and force an Evergreen timeout with 8:38 to play.

Whenever the green-clad Geoducks needed a basket in a set offense they went to Darby, the 6-5 senior forward who finished with a game-high 23 points. He hit a jumper to end L&C's run and then made a steal on a double team, leading to Dam's breakaway layup, pulling the visitors to within six points.

With about one minute remaining Darby made another steal and got the ball to Dam, who beat the Pioneers to the rack for another layup, slicing Lewis & Clark's advantage to 73-68 with 54 seconds left. With 50 seconds left full court pressure led to a steal by Alix Hernandez, and he fed Dam for yet another layup to make it a three-point game with 45 seconds left. Dam ended up with 20 points in this one, giving him 42 in the two tournament games.

With 13 seconds left Dam drained a three from the right corner to get the Geoducks within two points, and after a Pios free throw with 11.2 seconds left, Evergreen had the ball and a chance to tie the game. Unfortunately, the shot went wide and the Pioneers had held on for the 77-74 victory.

"That was a great learning experience for us," Evergreen head coach Tim Malroy said. "I really wish we could have pulled a W out, but for us to be able to grind and get back into a game that we weren't playing very well especially offensively, that was good. We just couldn't seem to get rolling, like we were running in molasses all night. We figured out defensively how to get some things done even though they were a huge overmatch for us size wise. We still just gutted that out and came back one possession at a time and had a chance to tie it. So yeah, I'm real proud of the guys."

Joining Darby and Dam in double-figure scoring was Hernandez who ended up with 10 points. The 6-1 junior contributed a team-high eight rebounds, but the Pioneers used their big size advantage to dominate the boards, 51-27.

The Geoducks ended up shooting 44 percent (28-for-63) for the game and 43 percent (9-for-21) from beyond the arc.

Lewis & Clark had five players in double figures, led by Cannen Roberson with 14, who also led his team with nine rebounds.

Evergreen returns to action at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it plays an exhibition game at Seattle Pacific.