Jan. 18 NWC Men’s Basketball Wrap (Stories provided by host SID)

At Whitworth 66, Willamette 57

Spokane, Wash. -- Whitworth College won the first battle but the Northwest Conference war is still to be settled after the Pirates defeated visiting Willamette University 66-57 in a match-up of the top two teams in the NWC men's basketball standings on Saturday night.

The 17th-ranked Pirates overcame a three-point halftime deficit to improve to 14-1 overall and 5-1 in the NWC. The Bearcats had a five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 10-3, 4-1.

Defensive-minded Willamette held Whitworth to only 41.1% shooting from the field and had a slight edge in rebounding. But the Bearcats had 11 turnovers while the Pirates had six (only one in the decisive second half).

Four players scored in double-figures for the Pirates, led by freshman guard Paul Hafford who came off of the bench to hit for 16 points. Chase Williams added 15 points and Bryan Depew, who was in foul trouble most of the second half, finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Eric Avery added 11 points.

Willamette got an outstanding performance from senior forward Marques Johnson, who totaled 25 points and eight rebounds. Miles Sandgathe added 11 points.

The first half saw five ties and five lead changes before the Bearcats went to the locker room with a 25-22 lead. The 22 points was the lowest scoring half of the season for the Pirates. Whitworth was held to 28.6% shooting and was outrebounded 23-15.

The Pirates outscored the Bearcats 7-3 to start the second half and retake the lead 29-28. The teams traded leads eight more times before a three-pointer by Hafford tied the game at 42-42. After the teams traded another pair of baskets Williams worked free inside for a pair of layins and the Pirates never trailed again. Another Hafford three pointer and one from Williams came on either side of an inside basket by the Bearcats' Johnson and the Pirates had a 56-48 lead with 6:07 to play. Whitworth hit eight of ten free throws down the stretch to preserve the lead.

Whitworth will remain at home to host Whitman on Tuesday night. The Missionaries beat Linfield to improve to 3-3 in the NWC. Willamette will play at a 4-2 Pacific team on Tuesday.

At Pacific 71, Puget Sound 61

Forest Grove, Ore. -- Pacific went to the posts for their offense Saturday night, as Joe Van Domelen and Dan Lumpkin keyed the Boxers' 71-61 victory over Puget Sound Saturday in Northwest Conference men's basketball action at the Pacific Athletic Center.

The victory, Pacific's third in a row, brings the Boxers to and even 7-7, 4-2 NWC, and gives them at least a share of third place in the conference race.

Van Domelen led the Boxers with a season high 17 points, including 8 of 12 from the field, and seven rebounds as the Boxers outshot the Loggers (8-7, 3-3 NWC) 57 percent to 34 percent.  Lumpkin added 16 points and seven rebounds.  Rahim Tufts matched the effort with 16 points to go along with four assists.  Matt Glynn led the UPS charge with a game high 22 points.

The Boxers had the hot hand from the start, taking a 12-5 lead on Van Domelen's first 15-footer of the evening at the 14:03 mark.  Pacific led by 10 with 9:58 left, but a series of outside shots keyed a 10-0 Logger run to tie the game at 24.  The Loggers took the halftime lead of 31-30 on two free throws by Glynn with six seconds left.

The Loggers extended the lead to four early in the second half before the Boxers retook the lead on an Erin Gram longball with 16:06 left.  Both teams traded the lead until a Brandon Kilgour lay-in with 5:16 left gave the Boxers the lead for good at 56-54.  Long jumpers by Van Domelen and Lumpkin, along with a 7 for 7 effort by the Boxers at the free throw line secured the victory.

Pacific will attempt to keep the winning run alive on the road Tuesday night, facing Willamette in an 8:00 p.m. showdown.

At Whitman 83, Linfield 76

Walla Walla, Wash. -- Hitting from long range 14 times over the course of the game, the Whitman men's basketball team downed Linfield 83-76 Saturday in Northwest Conference play. The Missionaries improved to 5-10 on the year, 2-4 in the NWC. Linfield dropped its second straight Northwest Conference match, and is 9-5, 2-3.

The first half was close throughout, with five ties and five lead changes. After taking the lead 35-32 on a three-pointer from Jake Pounds, Whitman held onto the lead for the rest of the half, extending it to eight points, 46-38, at halftime.

The Missionaries came out firing early in the second half, behind the three point shooting of Scott Erickson and Greg Caldwell. Erickson hit six of 12 three-point shots on the evening, while Caldwell was four of five.

Linfield mounted a comeback midway through the second frame, however, and eventually tied the game at 67-67 on a three-pointer from Matt Larson. Caldwell responded with his own three-pointer and moments later Erickson also connected on another long range shot to stake a six point 73-67 lead. Linfield again staged a comeback, getting within two points, but was faced to foul down the stretch, and the Missionaries won 83-76.

Erickson led all scores, with 23, all from long range and five of six from the free-throw line. Mark Bouma hit six of nine shots for 13 points. Caldwell scored 12 points, and Kyle Dalvit put in 10 points while collecting a team high seven rebounds. Freshman Greg Ricker had 11 assists, also a game high.

For the Wildcats, Larson scored 18 points off of six for 10 shooting to lead the team. Nick Fusare and Travis Jones each had 16 points while Jeff Dunn pitched in 10 points. Larson led the team with six assists and Fusare in rebounds, with five.

Whitman takes on Whitworth next Tuesday, at 8 p.m. in Spokane.

At George Fox 72, Pacific Lutheran 69

Newberg, Ore. -- Surpassing their 2001-02 season total for wins with their 6th victory while at the same time snapping a 25-game losing streak in Northwest Conference play, the George Fox University Bruins hung on to defeat the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes 72-69 in men’s basketball Saturday night at the Wheeler Sports Center.

Ironically, it was the Lutes whom the Bruins had last beaten in conference play, a 94-84 decision in Newberg two years ago on Feb. 3, 2001.  The win improved the Bruins to 6-8 overall, bettering last year’s 5-20 mark, and to 1-5 in the conference.  The Lutes fell to 5-10 overall and 2-4 in the NWC.

Trailing 4-3 early in the game, the Bruins went on an 11-0 run to take a 13-4 lead and stayed in front the rest of the half.  PLU cut the lead to as little as four at 33-29 with 3:35 to play, but the Bruins bounced back and took a 10-point lead into the half, 42-32, on Aaron Schmick’s three-pointer with a second left.

PLU stayed close and took its only lead of the second half, 63-62, on a layup by Jonathan Anderson with 6:55 to play.  A minute later, Schmick scored inside, was fouled, and hit the free throw for a 65-63 Bruin lead.  Josh Davis’ rebound basket tied again at 65-65, but Bryan Wadlow hit two free throws for the Bruins at 3:53 to break the deadlock.  A free throw by Mark Gayman and two more by Wadlow boosted the Bruins’ lead to 70-65 before Kellen Willis hit a bucket and two freebies to cut it to 70-69 with 50 seconds left.  Schmick and Nate Tyler each hit one free throw to give the Bruins their final margin, and a desperation three-point try by Hazen Hyland at the end was off.

Gayman led a quintet of Bruins in double figures with 16 points, followed by Schmick with 14, Brett Yeager with 11, and Tyler and Kenny Macy with 10 each.  Gayman had 8 rebounds and 3 steals, and Yeager passed out 4 assists.

Davis had a double-double for the Lutes with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Anderson scored 14 and Neil Mendez had 10.  Hyland handed out 5 assists.

George Fox visits Yamhill County rival Linfield College and Pacific Lutheran hosts the University of Puget Sound Tuesday (Jan. 21), both at 8:00 p.m. following the women’s games at 6:00 p.m.