Western men’s basketball team ended Thursday night with a win and a record number of points against Concordia University, with a 119-95 final score. Vikings freshman Trey Drechsel came off the bench and proceeded to score 27 points throughout the game in a total of only 28 minutes. This contributed to Western’s highest Great Northwest Athletic Conference point total since 2002, and tied for the eighth highest point total in any GNAC game. “I think we really moved the ball well and got everybody involved,” Drechsel said. “When we share the ball we’re one of the best teams in the league.” Drechsel started the season on the bench recovering from an injury. Tony Dominguez, head coach for the Vikings, noted Drechsel’s recovery. “Trey was our X-factor tonight. He’d been hurt all year and came back after the break,” Dominguez said. “He was a little out of sync, but tonight he obviously got back in the groove and played the way we expected him.” Drechsel, along with Western’s other players, contributed to the winning night. Senior guard Kyle Impero scored 19 points, junior forward Jeffrey Parker made 17 points and senior forward Colby Mitchell scored 10 points. “We played really good defense down the stretch,” said freshman Trevor Jasinsky. “But our offense is really what pushed us through, we almost scored 120 points tonight. We were finding the right guys and people were hitting the shots.” Next, the Vikings will play against Western Oregon University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Whatcom Community College Pavilion.
