Dinari Boykin led all players with 23 points, including the first 11 of the game for Colorado College, as the Tigers rolled past Southwestern University, 83-71, Sunday afternoon at Reid Arena.
 
Boykin also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds as CC improved to 6-3 overall and 2-0 in the SCAC, while the Pirates fell to 0-10 and 0-3 in conference play.
 
Boykin hit four of his first five shots, including a pair of three-pointers, from the field and scored the first five points in a 16-0 Tiger run that spanned 4:34, giving the home team a 22-7 lead with 12:39 remaining in the first half following a three-pointer by Edgar Romero.
 
The Tigers shot 51.5 percent (17-33) from the field and 6-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, including a three-pointer by Orion Samikoglu with 21 seconds left in the half for a 50-28 halftime advantage.

"I thought we had an excellent first half today," head coach Jeff Conarroe said. "I challenged our guys to play with the same level of intensity and sense of urgency after Friday night and they took it to heart.  I thought they really played hard and competed.  Offensively, we were much better today, and we improved against the zone from Friday."
 
CC took its biggest lead of the game at 56-30 early in the second half thanks to a three-point play by Adrian Price, but the Pirates, who shot just 8-for-28 from the field in the first half, put together a 15-2 surge, capped by a three-pointer by Nico Mur, to cut the CC lead to 58-45 with 13:31 left in the game.
 
The Tigers responded, however, as a three-pointer by Scott Ruegg, a follow-up dunk by Trey Crawford and layup by Boykin sent the lead back to 66-45 with 11:26 remaining. The Pirates closed the gap to 81-70 with 1:37 left in the game but did not get any closer.
 
Asher Nofziger and Crawford added nine points apiece and Crawford pulled down seven rebounds for the Tigers, who had 13 players score, shot 46.7 percent (28-60) from the field and outrebounded Southwestern, 47-32.
 
Gio Gutierrez paced the Pirates with 22 points, followed by Brock Luechtefeld with 14.

"I thought this was a tough game for us heading into break," Conarroe added. "Coach (Connor) Kuykendall does a heck of a job and they have a young team but they are disciplined and play hard.  The game concerned me going in and I thought our guys responded. I am proud of our team."
 
Colorado College returns to action on Friday, Dec. 29, against the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, beginning at 4:30 pm (MT).