TACOMA, Wash. – Visiting Whitworth survived a 25-1 run that spanned the first and second halves by outscoring Puget Sound 19-6 over the final seven minutes of the game in an 81-69 Northwest Conference men's basketball win on Saturday night.
The 21st-ranked Pirates (18-4 overall, 11-3 NWC) bounced back from a loss at Pacific Lutheran on Friday night. The Loggers (9-15, 4-10) fell in their final home game of the season.
"I'm proud of the way the guys responded after last night," said Whitworth head coach Damion Jablonski. "Except for a five minute stretch, it looked like Whitworth basketball again."
Whitworth jumped out to a 6-0 lead after a basket by Liam Fitzgerald. Rowan Anderson's three-pointer made it 20-10 and Jake Holtz scored inside to make it 31-19. Garrett Paxton's three-pointer increased the lead to 38-23 with 4:11 left and it looked like the Pirates might be on their way to an easy win.
Looks were deceiving. Puget Sound closed the half on an 18-1 run. Cal Hanson scored four straight to make it 39-32 and Paul Johnson tied the game with a three-pointer. After another Whitworth miss, Hanson scored at the buzzer to give the Loggers a 41-39 lead at halftime.
The run continued into the second half as UPS scored the first seven points of the period. Johnson opened the run with a three-pointer and Hanson hit a hook shot to increase the lead to 48-39, ending the 25-1 run.
JT McDermott, who would go on to score 13 points in the second half, stopped the run with a basket. After McDermott scored again, Jojo Anderson hit back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 52. The Loggers jumped back up 58-54 before a Rowan Anderson three-pointer put Whitworth back in front 62-61. Tai Phillips scored to put UPS ahead 63-62 with 6:45 to go and that was when Whitworth went on its game-clinching run. Rowan Anderson and Jerry Twenge hit big three-pointers in the final minutes.
McDermott finished with 19 points, while Holtz posted 14 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Rowan Anderson finished with 16 points and three assists. Whitworth made 50.9% (29-57) from the field one night after its roughest shooting performance of the season. The Bucs were 10-21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.
Johnson led the Loggers with 20 points while Hanson had 16 points and seven rebounds.
Whitworth will close out the regular season at home next weekend against George Fox and Lewis & Clark.
