By Matt Bos, NAIA Media Coordinator

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – (Box Score) – No. 16 Warner Pacific dominated on both ends of the floor in its 79-54 win over Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) in the first round of the 2015 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship. The 2015 event is being played at the Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Mo.

The Knights advance to the second round for the fifth time and are third team from the Cascade Collegiate Athletic Conference to punch their ticket to Friday, joining No. 4 College of Idaho and No. 14 Concordia. Warner Pacific improves to 26-7 on the year.

Coleton Tarr led all scorers with 22 points, going 9-for-13 from the floor, and was one of five Knights’ players in double figures. The senior drained all three of his three-point attempts. Earl Jones also had a big night offensively, scoring 18 points and making 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

An early 12-2 run put Warner Pacific on top for good as the Knights built up a double-digit lead in the first half. Olivet Nazarene charged back to within six (30-24) at the three-minute mark but another 10-2 run by WPU gave the Knights a 40-26 advantage at the break.

Warner Pacific was never threatened in the second half, using its zone defense to limit ONU to shooting just 30% from the field. The Knights pushed the lead to as much as 34 points late in the final 20 minutes.

The Knights shot 48% for the game, 44% from beyond the arc (12-for-27). Ryan Parks chipped in 13 for WPU.

Olivet Nazarene struggled to get anything going offensively, shooting 30% from the field and 24% (4-for-17) from the three-point arc. Aaron Larson led the Tigers with 13 points and Austin Davis added 12. ONU, in its first ever trip to the championship, ends the season with a 25-9 record.

Warner Pacific will match-up with Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 pm at the Keeter Gymnasium.