SEGUIN, Texas – Jake Holtz's double-double led the Whitworth University men's basketball to an 85-64 victory over Texas Lutheran in a non-conference men's basketball game on Thursday afternoon.
The Pirates' (9-0) win over the Bulldogs (2-7) marks the first time finishing the non-conference schedule unbeaten since the 2016-17 season and their longest winning streak since the 2015-16 season.
The Whitworth defense picked up right where it left off and held TLU scoreless in the first three and half minutes of play. Ty Edwards hit a three pointer to cap off a 9-0 Pirate run to start the game. The lead stretched to 14 after a Garrett Long tip-in layup before the Whitworth offense slowed from its opening pace. Mason Wallace made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 31-23 with 6:28 to play in the half.
The Bulldogs got within seven after a Trey Blackmore shot from distance, but the Pirates scored two unanswered baskets to go into halftime with a 41-30 lead. Whitworth shot 48.6% from the field in the first half and Holtz led with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The second half began with three straight layups from Holtz using his patented spin move to get to the rim. Soon after, Stephen Behil was fouled on a three-point shot attempt and his free throw gave the Pirates a 50-30 lead at the 15:55 mark. The Bulldogs' three-pointer on the following possession were their first points of the half.
Both teams traded baskets for the next 10 minutes of game time while the Whitworth lead hovered around 20 points. With 4:40 left to play, Long, Ben Nyquist and Diego Jaques knocked down three consecutive three-pointers to take the largest lead of the game 80-55 and put the game on ice. The Pirates never trailed.
Holtz led all scorers with 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Behil added 11 points while Long put up 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Bucs shot 52.5% (32-61 FG) from the field and 46.2% (6-13 3PT) from beyond the arc. Whitworth doubled up the Bulldogs and finished with a 44-22 advantage in points in the paint.
Teddy Tapken and Blackmore each scored 13 points to lead TLU, while Kevin Juarez had a team-high nine rebounds.
The Pirate men will go for 10 straight wins when they open Northwest Conference play against visiting Pacific Lutheran on January 3rd and Puget Sound on January 4th.
