Columbia Basin defeated Tacoma by a score of 96-69 on Tuesday evening. Tyler Kurtz lead all scorers with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Three other Hawks crossed the 10 point mark in another balanced effort.

In their first test of the regular season, CBC came out and dominated the 2-0 Titans who had previously won against two quality opponents. The defense was again stifling as Tacoma struggled to get the ball over half court frequently. The Hawks deployed their increasingly signature full-court trapping press that forced the Titans into 25 turnovers on the night.

Basin struggled just a tad early on trying to find stride on offense. At the 10 minute mark with just a 4-point lead, Kurtz sparked a 19-3 run for the Hawks who kept Tacoma at 15 points for almost 5 minutes straight. CBC was able to push the lead to 20 points heading into half at 54-34. So far, only the CBC alumni have been able to score at least 40 in the first half against the staunch Hawk defense.

Outside of half, Tacoma tried to match CBC's press with one of their own but without the length that the Hawks present, it only poured gas on the fire for Columbia Basin as they began the route. Again lead by Kurtz, CBC was able to push the lead to 29 points with 7 minutes to go in the game effectively sealing the game up. TJ Smith scored 11 of the 30 bench points in the effort making 5-11 from the field.

The win moves CBC to 3-0 on the year still without Sophomore forward Garrett Streufert who nears completion of his rehab on a broken hand. With Streufert back in the lineup, CBC will be a scary matchup for anyone in the NWAC. The Hawks will travel to Clark on Monday after Thanksgiving before dropping down to Mt. Hood on Tuesday for a 2-game mini road trip.