Raiders Fall Short at Lower Columbia, 67-62

The Pierce Raiders men’s basketball team battled throughout but fell to the Lower Columbia Red Devils 67-62 on the road Wednesday night.

Lower Columbia built momentum early and carried a 33-25 lead into halftime. Pierce struggled to find consistency offensively in the first half and finished the game shooting 34.7% (25-72) from the field and 23.3% (7-30) from three-point range.

The Raiders showed resilience in the second half, tightening up defensively and chipping away at the deficit to make it a one-possession game late, but the Red Devils were able to close it out at the free-throw line.

Dylan Jay led Pierce with 20 points, hitting four three-pointers and pulling down eight rebounds in 38 minutes. Ishe Kanhukamwe added 12 points off the bench, while Mande Wanlemvo recorded a double-digit effort with 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. Isaac Norris contributed 10 points and dished out eight assists, and Josiah Gopaul added seven rebounds and five points.

Lower Columbia held a 49-36 advantage on the boards, creating second-chance opportunities that proved pivotal in the seven-point decision.

Up Next: The Raiders return home to host Green River on Saturday, February 14th at 1:00pm.