SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth held the Northwest Conference's highest-scoring offense more than 30 points below its season scoring average in a 78-57 win over visiting Lewis & Clark in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game on Friday night.

Four players scored in double figures for the Pirates (7-5 overall, 2-1 NWC).  L&C (7-5, 1-2) came into the game averaging 89 points per game.

The first ten minutes of the game featured five lead changes.  The Pioneers took their final lead at 16-15 on a fast break basket by Tyler McFarland.  Whitworth answered with six straight points, including four by Jake Holtz, to take a 21-16 lead and never trailed again.  After L&C cut the margin to 22-21, the Pirates went on an 8-0 run, capped by Michael Smith's jumper, to open their largest lead (30-21) of the half.  Whitworth went to halftime with a 35-27 advantage after shooting 50% from the floor in the opening period, despite making only 1-8 from three-point range.

Lewis & Clark got as close as 37-33 in the opening minutes of the second half on a basket by Jack Henderson.  Whitworth broke things open with a 12-2 run, capped by another Smith jumper, to take a 49-35 lead with 14:02 left.  The Pirates never led by less than 10 points the rest of the way.  Leading 59-46, Whitworth went on a 9-0 spurt, going up 68-46 on JT McDermott's layup with 6:43 to play.  The Bucs eventually led by as many as 23 points.

Holtz and Smith led Whitworth with 15 points apiece, while McDermott scored 14 and Sullivan Menard added 11.  Jerry Twenge and Ty Edwards grabbed nine rebounds each to lead the Pirates to a 52-27 advantage in rebounding.  Whitworth shot 48.5% in the game.

Henderson scored 16 points for L&C, while McFarland came off the bench for 15.  The Pioneers made only 33.3% from the field and 23.1% (6-26) from three-point range. 

Whitworth will host Pacific (Ore.) on Saturday.