WALLA WALLA, Wash. - JT McDermott and Rowan Anderson are not ready to be done with their decorated Whitworth basketball careers. The seniors led the Pirates back from a double-digit, first half deficit to a 78-65 win at Whitman College in the championship game of the Northwest Conference tournament on Saturday night at the Sherwood Athletic Center.
Whitworth (18-9) won the NWC tournament for the 15th time, but first as a #3 seed. The top-seeded Blues (22-5) must hope for an at-large bid when the field is announced on Monday morning.
Both teams were making shots in the first half, but Whitman was making threes while Whitworth was making twos for most of the period. Anderson and Ty Edwards scored the first two baskets of the game for a quick 4-0 lead. The Blues responded with an 8-0 run, capped by Grant Hunt's three-pointer, and never trailed again in the period. Hunt hit another three to put Whitman up 16-9 and Walter Lum's jumper made it 21-12 in the Blue's favor. The Pirates fought back to within 26-23 on consecutive baskets by McDermott before Whitman opened its largest lead of the half (40-29) on a layup by Jander Cline. Whitworth previewed its second half surge by pulling within 42-35 at the half after two baskets in the final minute, one by Michael Smith and one by McDermott, who led the Bucs with nine points in the period. Whitworth finished the half 16 of 27 (59%) from the floor, but only 1 of 7 (14%) from three-point range. Whitman made 50%, both from the field (15 of 30) and from three-point range (7-14).
The Pirates outscored the Blues 12-5 to open the half, tying the game at 47-47 on a pair of baskets by Jake Holtz. After Whitman answered with two straight buckets to go back ahead 51-47, Whitworth went on a 9-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Walla Walla native Diego Jaques. The Pirates never trailed again. The Blues pulled back within 61-59 on a basket by Ali Efe Isik, but Anderson answered with a three-pointer, igniting a 13-2 run that put the game away. The key basket in that run was a long three pointer by Anderson just before the shot clock expired with 4:41 to go that gave Whitworth its first double-digit lead (72-61).
The second half turnaround was dominant as the Pirates outscored the Blues 43-23, made 56% (15 of 27) from the floor, including 67% (6 of 9) from beyond the arc. The Bucs held Whitman to only 41% (11 of 27) shooting in the second half and only 1 of 11 (9%) from three-point range.
McDermott and Anderson, Whitworth's two fifth-year seniors, led the way. McDermott led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Anderson scored eight of his 12 points in the second half and dished five assists. Holtz scored 15 points and Sullivan Menard finished with nine.
Lum scored 14 points for Whitman, while Murphy Caffo added 13 and Xzavier Lino finished with ten.
Whitworth is now 32-10 all-time in the NWC tournament and the Bucs will now make their 16th appearance in the NCAA Division III dance. Whitworth will find out when and where it plays next weekend when the field is announced on Monday morning.
