Box Score WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Whitworth's bench scored 53 points and the Pirates got 40 points off of 23 Walla Walla turnovers in a 92-40 win over the Wolves on Sunday afternoon at the Kim Evanger Raney Classic hosted by Whitman College.
The 16th-ranked Pirates ran their record to 8-0, the second-best start in school history. Walla Walla fell to 0-15.
After falling behind in the opening 90 seconds following a pair of put-back baskets by the Wolves, Whitworth went on a 23-0 run to take control of the game. All five Whitworth starters hit a three-pointer during that run. The Pirates eventually led 46-16 at halftime after holding Walla Walla to 25% shooting in the first 20 minutes.
Whitworth never let the Wolves cut into the lead in the second half, beginning with a 10-0 run. The Pirates steadily built that advantage, even with bench players getting a majority of minutes in the second half.
"I think it was a good effort by everybody," said head coach Helen Higgs. "They all did a nice job keeping the level of play where we wanted it to be."
All 16 Whitworth players who were available for the game got significant action. Fifteen of those players scored points in the game. The Pirates finished the game making 53% (37-70) of their shots from the floor, a season-high for shooting percentage. Whitworth outrebounded Walla Walla 43-33.
KC McConnell led the Bucs with 14 points while Briann Maley added ten points off of the bench. They were the only Whitworth players in double figures as the team spread shots around the floor. McConnell also led the Pirates with eight rebounds and five assists.
Michaela Garcia had 15 points for Walla Walla.
Whitworth will host its alumni on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm, then take a break for the holidays. The Bucs will play their next official game on December 30th when they host Northwest University.
