SPOKANE, Wash. – Only four weeks after Whitman defeated Whitworth by 35 points, Whitworth gave the visiting Blues all they could handle on Tuesday night before falling 47-37 in a Northwest Conference women's basketball contest.

The Pirates (4-16 overall, 3-8 NWC) had two chances to take a lead late in the fourth quarter before Whitman (14-6, 9-2 NWC) scored the final eight points of the game.

The first half featured wild swings of momentum.  The Blues jumped out to a 10-2 lead at the first media timeout.  Whitworth answered with a 17-2 run over the next nine minutes of play to go ahead 19-12 on a basket by Ava DePew.  The Pirates went cold and could not score over the final 6:30 of the second quarter, allowing Whitman to finish the half on a 12-0 run and take a 24-19 lead into the locker rooms.  The Bucs committed nine turnovers in the second quarter, eight over the final scoreless stretch.

Addyson Gallatin had seven points for Whitworth in the first half.  The Bucs made 7-24 (29%) from the field and 2-10 (20%) from three-point range.  Emma Lena Baker had nine points for the Blues, who shot 9-28 (32%) from the field in the opening two quarters. 

After Whitman opened a 29-19 lead to start the third, Whitworth began to chip away.  Brenna Gilchrist scored inside the cut the margin to 29-25 and Depew drilled a jumper to trim the lead to 32-29 halfway through the third.  Whitman led 34-31 at the end of the period.

Ashlyn Peterson's layup early in the fourth got the Bucs within 34-33 and Whitworth briefly took a 37-36 lead on Peterson's jumper with 5:20 to play.  The Pirates would not score again.  They had two chances to tie the game down 39-37, but missed shots both times.  Trailing 41-37, consecutive turnovers in the final 2:00 turned into Whitman points.  The Blues scored on a breakaway layup with three seconds left for the final margin.

Peterson scored 15 points for Whitworth, adding eight rebounds, four steals and three assists.  Gallatin finished with nine points.  DePew had seven points and eight boards.  The Pirates committed 18 turnovers, while making 16 shots in 48 attempts (33.3%).

Morgan Montgomery led Whitman with 18 points, while Baker finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.  The Blues went 18 of 52 (34.6%) from the floor.

Whitworth will get a strong test when the Pirates host league-leading Linfield on Friday night.