NEWBURG, Ore. – Jojo Anderson's jumper with 2.1 seconds left in the game lifted visiting Whitworth to a dramatic 80-78 win at George Fox in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game on Saturday night.
The 18th-ranked Pirates survived a brutal six-games-in-nine-days stretch to improve to 15-2 overall and 8-1 in the NWC. The Bruins (9-7, 4-3) just missed a chance to end a 15-game losing streak to Whitworth after building a seven-point lead early in the second half.
The Pirates jumped out to a 21-14 lead halfway through the first half on a pair of free throws from Jake Holtz. George Fox rallied to go ahead 34-32 on a jumper by Zac Schmerber. JT McDermott's three-point play put the Bucs back in front 37-34 and Whitworth went into halftime ahead 41-39. The Pirates made 58% of their shots in the first half, but turned the ball over six times and George Fox took eight more shot attempts.
Austin Clark's three-pointer set a quick tone for the Bruins to start the second half, sparking a 12-3 run that put George Fox ahead 51-44 on Richard's jumper three minutes into the period. Whitworth pulled within 53-52 on a Holtz layup, but the Bruins answered with two straight baskets to go back ahead by five points. The Pirates finally retook the lead 64-63 on a put-back basket from Miguel Lopez with 5:50 to play. McDermott's breakaway layup just over a minute later extended the margin to 70-64. Whitworth still led 78-73 with 1:18 left after a pair of Jerry Twenge free throws. But Davon Walker hit a jumper and the Pirates missed two free throws with 28 seconds left. Adam Damion tied the game with a three-pointer with 20 seconds to play, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Whitworth head coach Damion Jablonski elected not to call a time out and the Pirates worked the ball over halfcourt and around the perimeter until Anderson took a pass, worked around a screen from McDermott and pulled up from just beyond the free throw line to hit his game-winning shot. The Pirates knocked away George Fox's length-of-the-court pass to end the game.
McDermott finished with 19 points, while Lopez posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Anderson finished with a dozen points and Holtz had 11, both off the bench. Whitworth, second in all of NCAA Division III in team field goal percentage, made 62.5% from the field (30-48). The tired legs showed up at the free throw line where the Pirates made only 16 of 26 (61.5%).
Walker scored a game-high 25 points for the Bruins, while Schmerber and Damian scored 16 apiece. George Fox made 50% (32-64) from the field.
Whitworth will finally get a chance to get some rest this week before hosting Willamette University in its only game on Friday night.
