Columbia Basin defeated Whatcom in the home opener 86-65. Five players scored in double figures lead by Zander Kamai and Coleton Hansen each with 13.

Fresh off a 2-game win streak in Arizona, the Hawks took to Holden Court to open up NWAC play against the Whatcom Orcas. It was Whatcom out ahead early with a barrage of five 3's to start the game while CBC struggled to get it going offensively. In the first 10 minutes, CBC only mustered 12 points and a 19-12 deficit. From there, the full court press began to create turnovers that resulted in easy buckets for the Hawks. As the half wore on, Basin found its stride on offense and began 12-2 run to finish the half out with a 10 point lead.

Outside of halftime, Basin looked much more poised as they ran their offense. Timely ball movement and cuts lead to high percentage shots on the way to a 20-point lead midway through the second half. Whatcom was unable to mount a run as the Hawks controlled the tempo deep into the period without giving up any easy looks on defense. A Zadkiel Rodarte jumpshot gave the Hawks their largest lead of the night at 27 points with 5 minutes to go as they would go on to back in to the 86-56 final.

The win moves CBC to 3-1 on the year and they will face Linn-Benton on Day 2 of the tournament with tipoff scheduled for 7pm.