SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth University men's basketball team will take on two high-scoring offenses that include a dynamic scorer to open the second round of the Northwest Conference season this weekend in Oregon. The Pirates will play at Pacific University on Friday night (7:30 pm) then travel to Willamette University on Saturday (5:00 pm). Both games will video stream through FloSports and both can be heard for free at WhitworthPirates.com. Check the men's basketball schedule at Whitworthpirates.com for other live links.
The Pirates: 24th-ranked Whitworth (14-3 overall, 8-0 NWC) extended its winning streak to nine games and its lead in the NWC men's basketball standings with a pair of home victories against the Tacoma-area rivals last weekend.
The University of Puget Sound came into Friday's game with a chance to force a tie for first in the league standings with a victory over the Pirates. Instead, Whitworth exploded for a 30-point first half lead on the way to an 88-61 win over the Loggers. The Bucs led 53-24 at halftime thanks to a 30-3 run in the first 20 minutes. The defense was sharp, snagging a season-high 17 steals and holding Puget Sound to only 15 made field goals in the game (15-56 / 27%). Colton Looney led the way with 22 points, while Kobe Parlin scored 14 and Caden Bateman finished with 10. Eleven different players scored a basket as the Pirates made 51.5% (34-66) of their field goals and 54% (14-26) from three-point range.
Whitworth held off a scrappy effort by Pacific Lutheran in a 76-65 win over the Lutes on Saturday night. The Lutes made four of their first five three-pointers to open an 18-13 lead before the Pirates found their groove to go ahead 38-34 at the break. Whitworth won despite its worst three-point shooting night of the season (3-20, 15%). The Pirates made up for it by sinking 17 of 18 free throws (94%) and gaining a 46-31 advantage in rebounds. Stephen Behil posted his third double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Parlin contributed 17, including nine during a key 13-4 run in the second half.
Back in the Top-25: Riding a nine-game winning streak, Whitworth returned to the D3hoops.com top-25 this week at #24 in the rankings of Jan. 26th. The Pirates were last in this season's poll on Dec. 1 when they were 4-0.
Conference Race Update: At the halfway point of the Northwest Conference schedule, Whitworth (8-0) holds a two-game lead for the championship over Puget Sound (6-2) and a three-game margin over Willamette and Linfield (both 5-3). Lewis & Clark (4-4) is fifth. The regular season champion hosts the 2026 NWC Tournament (Feb. 27-28) and the top four teams in the standings qualify.
Statistically speaking: Through 17 games Whitworth is averaging 83.4 points per game (tied for first in the NWC) and allowing 69.6 points per contest (first in the NWC). The Pirates lead the league in scoring margin (+13.8 – 19th in NCAA Div. III).
Whitworth has been strong on the defensive side of the ball. The Pirates lead the conference in field goal percentage defense (37.9%), which ranks 7th in Division III, and they lead in three-point field goal percentage defense (29.2%). Whitworth also leads the conference in rebounds per game (43.1), in defensive rebounds per game (30.6 – 10th in Div. III) and ranks second in rebound margin (+7.2).
Iron Man: Whitworth senior post Ty Edwards (Sumner, Wash.) has started 92 consecutive games for the Pirates. It is the longest active starting streak since Whitworth Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame member George Valle started all 116 games of his career from 2013 through 2016.
Be(hil) the Ball: Stephen Behil is having a breakout senior season. The 6-6 wing from Camas leads the team in scoring average at 16.9 ppg, which ranks fifth in the NWC. He is also third in the conference in rebounds per game (7.5). Behil is fifth in the NWC in three-pointers made per game (2.5) and, after a slow start to the season, is eighth in three-point percentage (37.1).
Energizer: Ben Nyquist has made a successful transition from sixth man to key starter in 2025-26. The senior guard from Kirkland, Washington leads the team in assists with 53 (3.1 apg) and ranks third in the NWC in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.4). He also leads the team in steals with 52 (3.1 spg – 11th in NCAA DIII), which is third in the conference. He averages 12.6 points per game, third on the team and 11th in the NWC, while making 55.3% of his field goals.
Reload: Whitworth did not return either of its All-NWC honorees from 2024-25 when the Pirates won the conference regular season title with a 13-3 record. Despite the graduations of Jake Holtz and Garrett Long, both first team All-Conference selections last season, the Pirates are right back in the hunt for another NWC crown in 2025-26. Ben Nyquist, Colton Looney and Caden Bateman stepped into full-time starting roles this season, along with returning starters Stephen Behil and Ty Ewards.
Watch on FloCollege: Like the rest of the Northwest Conference, Whitworth's home athletic events are steamed through FloCollege in 2025-26. Fans can sign up to watch Pirate sports on the FloCollege portal. Registration is $116 for an annual subscription or $20 per month. Those who register with a .edu email address get a significant discount.
Inland Northwest Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Bud Nameck, familiar in Spokane as the KXLY channel 4 sports director for over 20 years and the longtime host of the KXLY 920am Morning News, is in his 11th season as the voice of the Pirates in 2025. He was the voice of Washington State University men's basketball for 22 years and spent that same amount of time on the Cougar football broadcasts – the final three on play by play. He is a longtime resident of the Inland Northwest who began his career as the Sports Information Director and radio voice of Gonzaga University basketball and baseball in the 1980s.
Listen to Road Games: Fans can tune in online to listen to Pirate ROAD games for free at WhitworthPirates.com. Bud Nameck will provide play by play when Whitworth is away from the Fieldhouse.
The Opponents: Pacific University is 6-11 overall and 2-6 in the NWC heading into its game on Tuesday night at Linfield. The Boxers' conference record is deceptive. Their two wins were by an average of 22.5 points, while their six losses came by an average of 3.1 points. Justin Lunt, in his 9th season as head coach, leads a team that averages 83.4 points per game (tied with Whitworth for first in the NWC) and allows 82.4 points. Pacific leads the NWC in turnover margin (+6.53) and is second in turnovers forced per game (19.4). The Boxers lead as well in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.43). Junior guard Anthony Hrboka leads the NWC in scoring average (21.4 ppg) and three-pointers per game (3.0). Junior guard Max Vacco adds 9.7 points per contest and leads the league in assists per game (5.1) and steals per game (3.4). Whitworth survived its first meeting with Pacific on January 3rd when Stephen Behil made a jumper at the buzzer for an 81-79 victory. Behil had 21 points in the win while Hrboka scored 30 for the Boxers in the loss.
Willamette University is 10-7 overall and 5-3 in the NWC heading into Tuesday night's game against George Fox after defeating Lewis & Clark 81-74 at home and Pacific 75-74 on the road last weekend. The Bearcats will host Whitman on Friday before taking on the Pirates on Saturday. Head coach Michael Lenahan is in his third season. His team averages 82.5 points per game (third in the NWC) and allows 79.9 points. Willamette leads the NWC in steals per game (13.41) and turnovers forced per game (19.6). Sophomore guard Tanner Overby is second in the conference in scoring average (21.3 ppg). He makes 51.5% of his field goals and is adept at getting to the free throw line, where he converts a league-best 87.4%. Junior guard Anujan Tennathur adds 10.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg). Whitworth defeated Willamette 80-67 in its conference opener on Jan. 2 in Spokane behind Caden Bateman's double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds).
Pirates picked to win: Whitworth is listed at the top of the 2025-26 Northwest Conference coaches poll with eight first place votes and 64 points. The Pirates are coming off a 22-4 record in 2024-25 and a Northwest Conference title with a 13-3 mark. Whitman got one first place vote and has 53 points for second in the poll. PLU and Puget Sound (44 points apiece) tied for third.
Two Decades of Dominance: Since the beginning of the 2005-06 season (over 19 seasons) the Pirates are 462-106 (.813), an amazing run of success matched by few other college teams at any level. Within the Northwest Conference, Whitworth has won 241 of its last 273 (.882).
Home-Sweet-Home: Whitworth has been stellar in the Whitworth Fieldhouse since the 1990's. During the decade of the 1990s and 2000's Whitworth won more than 84% of its home games. However, since the beginning of the 2005-06 season, the Bucs are 233-30 (.886) at home.
The Pirates have had two home-court winning streaks of more than 40 games since 1990. A 41-game home court winning streak from early 2009 until December of 2011 was the second-longest in Pirate history. The school record for consecutive home victories is 43, beginning during the 1994-95 season and ending during the 1997-98 season.
Road Warriors: As good as Whitworth is at home, the Pirates have been almost as good away from the Whitworth Fieldhouse over the last 14 seasons. Since the start of the 11-12 season, Whitworth is 138-44 (.758) away from home, 109-30 (.784) in true road games.
Coming Up Next: Whitworth will host Whitman College on Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Linfield University on Friday, Feb. 6 in a pair of Northwest Conference contests.
