Playing a squad with nine games already under its belt, the Whitman men's basketball team opened its season with a 93-82 loss to Union College (Lincoln, Neb.) Friday morning in the opening round of the Walla Walla College Hoop Classic in College Place.
Improving to 7-3 on the season, Union bolted to a 54-38 halftime lead and held off a Missionary comeback attempt midway through the second half.
Matt Gal, a 6-foot-8 senior, scored a game-high 29 points to spark Union. Gal also handed out nine assists, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots. "He's as good a player as we're going to face all season," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "He's a gifted player who makes all of his teammates that much better."
Carlos Mott, a 6-foot-1 junior, added 26 points, 14 rebounds and four steals to the Union cause.
Mark Bouma, one of Whitman's senior co-captains, hit seven of 12 shots from the floor en route to 17 points and nine rebounds. Rich Harris added 11 points and four assists, while Scott Erickson finished with 10 points. Jake Pounds, Kyle Dalvit and Greg Caldwell each contributed eight points.
As a team, Union shot 63 percent from the floor in the first half. Despite cooling off somewhat over the final 20 minutes, Union finished with a 57 shooting percentage for the game. "They played a fabulous offensive game," Molitor said. "We needed to play well to keep up, and we didn't do that."
With nine minutes left to play, Pounds nailed a 3-pointer for the Missionaries to cut Whitman's deficit to single digits, 73-64. But Union responded as Brit Sigh, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, converted a three-point play inside the paint and teammate Mark Murrill drained a 3-point bomb.
Whitman pulled to within 10 points, 87-77, with just under two minutes remaining. Union make six of eight free throws down the stretch, however, to stay in front.
A total of 12 Missionaries saw court time, and ten of those players found their way into the scoring column.
Defense and rebounding were the keys as the Whitman men's basketball team pinned a 66-62 defeat on high-scoring Oakwood College Saturday night in the Walla Walla College Hoop Classic in College Place.
Oakwood, now 5-3 to start the season, opened the tournament by scoring 89 and 90 points in victories over Union College and Walla Walla College. But the Missionary defense held Oakwood (Huntsville, Ala.) to just 28 points in a low-scoring first half and eventually forced the Ambassadors into 24 turnovers.
"We watched Oakwood win its first two games in this tournament, so we know they are very talented and very capable of putting a lot of points on the board," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "They struggled a little bit offensively tonight, and we like to think our half-court man defense had something to do with that."
Whitman, 1-1, had its own problems on offense, shooting just 42 percent from the floor and committing 22 turnovers. "Even though we struggled offensively also, we defended and rebounded well enough to pull out a win against a very good team," Molitor said. "Part of our problem was that we looked like a team playing its opening weekend, which we are."
Four Missionary starters scored in double figures. Senior co-captain Mark Bouma led the way with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. "I'm sure that won't be Mark's last double-double of the season," Molitor said.
Freshman point guard Greg Ricker, getting a start in only his second collegiate game, responded with 10 points, six assists, three steals and three rebounds. Scott Erickson, Whitman's other senior captain, drained three second-half 3-pointers and finished with 10 points.
Kyle Dalvit, a 6-foot-11 junior transfer, contributed 11 points, making five of his six shots from the floor. Dalvit put back two offensive rebounds with 2:34 and 2:14 left on the clock to keep Whitman's lead at five points. Oakwood closed to within 61-60 with 53 seconds remaining, but a string of three free throws by Erickson and Ricker helped seal the victory.
The Missionaries led by as many as 12 points, 31-19, late in the first half, but Oakwood closed out the final 1:51 on a 9-0 run to trail 31-28 at the break. After the Ambassadors opened the second-half scoring to cut the Missionary lead to 31-30, Whitman countered with an 11-0 run to push its cushion back to 12 points. Junior reserve Jake Pounds had five of his eight points during that spurt.
"You have to give Oakwood credit," Molitor said. "We got the lead into double digits a few times, but they kept coming back. They are a very quick, scrappy team."
With Bouma converting two free throws and Erickson hitting his third trey, Whitman led 53-45 with 7:40 remaining. Oakwood hit a pair of quick baskets, however, and the game was close the rest of the way.
The Missionaries won the rebound battle 41-31. Junior post Casey Nelson grabbed nine boards for the Missionaries while scoring eight points on four-of-five shooting from the floor.
Whitman concludes its tournament play with a game against Walla Walla College at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Hitting eight of 10 3-point shots in the opening 20 minutes of play, Walla Walla College bolted to a 20-point halftime lead and cruised to a 75-55 victory over the Whitman men's basketball team Sunday night in the final game of the Walla Walla Hoop Classic in College Place.
Walla Walla and Oakwood College (Hunstsville, Ala.) both finished the tourney with 2-1 records, but Oakwood took home the first-place trophy by virtue of its 90-87 victory over the host school on Friday.
Had it beaten Walla Walla Sunday, Whitman would have finished with a 2-1 record and captured the trophy on the basis of its 66-62 victory over Oakwood on Saturday.
But the Wolves took early charge of Sunday's game, nailing four 3-pointers in the first 11 minutes to jump in front 25-13. The Missionaries never drew closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Walla Walla pushed its lead to 42-20 with 2:59 left in the first half, but Whitman responded with a 9-0 run over the next two minutes to climb back into contention. When the Wolves closed out the final minute of the half on a 7-0 run, however, they took a 49-29 lead into the break.
Walla Walla kicked off the second half on an 8-2 spurt to extend its lead to 57-31. Whitman scored 15 of the next 19 points to pull within 61-46 with 9:34 remaining, but the Wolves countered with eight unanswered points to put the game out of reach.
Whitman suffered through a woeful shooting night, hitting just 26.7 percent of its shots for the game. Rich Harris, one of the few bright spots for the Missionaries, scored a game-high 16 points while grabbing five rebounds.
Jeremy Claridge, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, led Walla Walla with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Tom Duffy, a 6-foot-10 senior, added 10 points and five boards. Jon Claridge, a 6-foot-8 senior, had seven points and five rebounds before suffering a knee injury early in the second half.
The Wolves won the rebounding battle 53-48. Whitman's Casey Nelson collared a team-high seven rebounds, while Mark Bouma picked off six boards. Greg Ricker and Kyle Dalvit joined Harris in snaring five rebounds apiece for the Missionaries.
Bouma and Dalvit were named to the all-tournament team. Bouma averaged 11.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in his three tournament games. Dalvit averaged 8.7 points in his three games, making 12 of 19 shots from the floor.
Walla Walla is now 3-4 to start its season. Whitman is 1-2 and plays Tuesday at NCAA Div. I Utah State.
Playing a strong game against an NCAA Div. I opponent, the Whitman men's basketball team kept Utah State within striking distance until midway through the second half Tuesday night in Logan, Utah.
Trailing 34-27 at halftime, Whitman pulled to within 40-36 with 17:00 left to play. Unfortunately for the Missionaries, that's when the Aggies flexed some muscle and embarked on a 26-8 run over the next 10 minutes en route to an 86-52 victory.
Utah State, the defending Big West champion, won its home opener for a ninth consecutive year and improved to 2-0 on the season. The Aggies are now 58-5 at home over the last four seasons. Tuesday night's game drew 6,180 fans to Utah State's 10,270-seat arena.
Whitman, now 1-3 to start the season, got 11 points and six rebounds from junior post Casey Nelson. Mark Bouma made four of eight shots from the floor in scoring nine points, while Scott Erickson hit a pair of 3-pointers while scoring eight points and handing out six assists. Bryan Erlebach made all three of his shots from the floor, including a 3-pointer, to finish with seven points.
Utah State's Desmond Penigar, a 6-foot-7 forward, scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 21 minutes to pace the Aggies. Penigar earned first-team all-Big West honors last season, averaging 17.2 points and 6.9 rebounds.
The taller Aggies outrebounded Whitman 40-26. Spencer Nelson, a 6-foot-8 post player, grabbed seven rebounds, while 6-foot-9 Mike Puzey and 6-foot-7 Nate Harris picked off seven boards apiece.
After suffering through a cold shooting night in its previous game, Whitman bounced back to hit seven of 16 3-point shots against Utah State. In addition to two long bombs from Erickson and one from Erlebach, four other Missionaries struck from long range -- Nelson, Greg Ricker, Jake Pounds and Nick Parker.
A late rally came up short as the Whitman men's basketball team fell to Warner Pacific 72-65 Friday night at the Wildhorse Resort Classic in Sherwood Center. The Knights improved to 7-2 on the season while Whitman is 1-4 overall.
"We knew we were in for a challenge tonight," Whitman coach Skip Molitor noted. "They're so disciplined," Molitor added. "We can't fall behind to that type of team."
Whitman did just that, falling behind 15-6 early in the first half after an 8-0 spurt by the Knights. The Missionaries battled back, however, and took a 22-21 lead on Kyle Dalvit's basket with 4:30 left in the first half. Warner Pacific finished off the half with a 10-4 run to take a five-point lead at the break.
Whitman trailed 44-37 nine minutes into the second half when Warner Pacific went on another 8-0 run, pushing its lead to 15 points.
Whitman made a final run late in the second half. With just over a minute remaining, Greg Ricker sparked the rally, hitting a 3-pointer and then driving the lane to score on Whitman's next two possessions. His last score, coming with 46 seconds left, pulled the Missionaries to within four points at 69-65. The Knights closed out the scoring by making three of six free throws.
"We had an oustanding night on the boards," Molitor said. The Missionaries outrebounded the Knights 34-27. Jake Pounds led the way with 10. Dalvit grabbed eight.
Mark Bouma was the top scorer on the night for Whitman, tallying 17 points. Three Missionaries added ten points apiece: Bryan Erlebach, Ricker and Dalvit. Erlebach made both of his shots from behind the 3-point arc, but the Missionaries as a team made just five of 22 attempts from long range.
Whitman plays its second and final game in the Wildhorse Casino Classic against Carroll College on Saturday at 4 p.m. Carroll rolled to a 98-62 victory over Walla Walla College on Friday afternoon and is 8-3 on the year.
Carroll College shot 59.2 percent from the floor, including a 12-of-25 showing from the 3-point line, as it overwhelmed the Whitman men's basketball team 81-55 Saturday afternoon at the Wildhorse Casino Classic. The Missionaries dropped to 1-5 on the season. Carrol is 9-3.
Whitman matched a hot Carroll team in the first half, making 13 of 22 shots from the field. The Missionaries trailed by just seven points at the intermission, but Carrol continued its offensive assault in the second half.
Leading 56-45 with just over 10 minutes to play, Carroll went on a 14-4 run, extending its lead to 21 points. Whitman managed just 10 points in the final 10 minutes as Carroll continued to build its lead, eventually winning by 26.
"We've competed really well against Carroll in the past," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "Tonight's game just got away from us."
"We forced some things in the first half, but I was really pleased with our bench play," Molitor added. "Bryan Erlebach and Jake Pounds came in and gave us a lift."
Whitman turned the ball over 21 times during the game, but outrebounded Carroll 30-23. Kyle Dalvit grabbed a game-high nine boards. Casey Nelson led the team in points with 14, making six of eight shots from the floor. "Casey asserted himself tonight, and that was good to see," Molitor noted.
Other Missionaries in double figures included Pounds with 11 points and Erlebach with 10. Pounds made three of five shots from 3-point range, while Erlebach was two of three from beyond the arc. Mark Bouma added nine points.
Whitman hit five 3-point shots in the first half, but managed just one in the second half.
"We've played this team five years in a row," Molitor said, "and it's good for us to play one of the best small schools. It makes our program better, even if tonight's game got away from us."
Tournament MVP Gary Lynch of Carroll finished the night with 24 points, making six of 11 shots from the 3-point line. Lynch, who had 10 assists and eight points in Carroll's victory over Walla Walla College on Friday, was joined on the all-tournament squad by teammate Jeff Mason. In his two tourney games, Mason made 14 of 20 shots from the floor in scoring 35 points.
Whitman's Bouma was also named to the all-tournament team, finishing his two games with 26 points and eight rebounds. Warner Pacific's Matt Segrin (43 points, 13 rebounds) and Walla Walla College's Jeremy Claridge (28 points, 10 rebounds) were the final two players named.
Whitman travels to Montana on Dec. 21-22 for games against the University of Great Falls and Montana State-Northern.
In one of the strongest games of his collegiate career, Whitman's Mark Bouma combined 26 points with 14 rebounds and five assists to spark the Missionaries to a 78-59 victory at the University of Great Falls Saturday night in Great Falls, Mont.
Whitman raised its season record to 2-5 headed into Sunday's game at Montana State-Northern. Great Falls, an NAIA Div. I school, fell to 4-9 on the season.
Bouma, a senior co-captain, played his prep ball at Conrad, Mont., about 70 miles north of Great Falls. Bouma was the only Missionary to hit double digits in either points or rebounds.
Whitman, which bolted to a 34-20 halftime lead, did much of its damage from the 3-point line, hitting nine of 23 shots, and from the free throw line, making 23 of 39 attempts.
Cale Will, a Whitman junior who also played at Conrad High School, scored eight points. Scott Erickson, Whitman's other senior co-captain, had eight points, five points and five rebounds. Both Will and Erickson made two of four shots from the 3-point stripe.
Three Missionaries -- senior Matt Airy, junior Kyle Dalvit and sophomore Nick Parker -- added seven points apiece. Airy made two of his three 3-point shots, while Dalvit snared eight rebounds. Parker played his high school ball in Malta, Mont.
Whitman outrebounded Great Falls 58-46.
The Missionaries raced away to leads of 8-0 and 19-2 to start the game. Whitman held its biggest lead of the first half at 28-10 with 5:30 remaining.
The second half was never close. Whitman opened on runs of 7-0 and 20-6 to lead 54-26 with 12:48 left to play.
Whitman played the game without guards Greg Ricker and Rich Harris. Ricker missed Whitman's two-game swing through Montana because of prior commitments, while Harris is sidelined by complications from an irregular heartbeat.
Led by senior co-captain Mark Bouma's career night, the Whitman men's basketball shot a torrid 76 percent from the floor in the second half to blow away Montana State-Northern 94-76 Sunday afternoon in Havre, Mont.
Making 25 of 33 of its field goal attempts over the final 20 minutes, Whitman blitzed the Lights for 62 second-half points to easily erase a 10-point halftime deficit. Winning its second game in two days in Montana, the Missionaries improved to 3-5 on the season. MSU-Northern, an NAIA Div. I school, fell to 9-5 overall.
Bouma scored 32 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, reaching career-high marks in both areas. The 6-foot-4 forward from Conrad, Mont., hit 13 of 18 shots from the floor, including five of six 3-point attempts. In his two weekend games in his home state, Bouma totaled 58 points, 30 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. He made 20 of 35 field goal attempts, including six of 11 3-point shots, and converted 12 of 15 free throws.
Unlike Saturday, when he was the only Missionary scoring in double figures in a victory at the University of Great Falls, Bouma had plenty of help Sunday at the offensive end of the court. Casey Nelson, a 6-foot-5 junior, made eight of 11 shots from the floor in scoring 19 points to go with nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Kyle Dalvit, Whitman's 6-foot-11 junior center, made all seven of his shots from the field in scoring 16 points and grabbing seven boards.
Despite shooting 55 percent from the floor in the first half, the Missionaries trailed 42-32 at the break. While its offense turned red hot in the second half, its defense turned downright nasty, holding the Lights to a 28 percent shooting percentage. As a team, Whitman shot 67 percent from the field for the game, including a 58 percent mark from 3-point range.
Whitman also outrebounded MSU-Northern 44 to 26.
The Missionaries next play on Monday, Dec. 30, when they travel to El Cajon, Calif., to play Christian Heritage College. Whitman begins its Northwest Conference schedule on Jan. 3-4, when it hosts George Fox and Pacific.
A short-handed Whitman men's basketball team ran into the proverbial buzz saw Monday night in El Cajon, Calif., falling 80-41 to NAIA Div. I Christian Heritage College. Playing their final non-conference game, the Missionaries dropped to 3-6 on the season. Christian Heritage improved to 6-5.
Monday's one-sided loss came little more than a week after Whitman had scored an impressive weekend sweep of two NAIA Div. I schools in Montana. The luster of those victories was soon dimmed, however, by the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Mark Bouma to two stress fractures in his right foot. Bouma, one of Whitman's senior captains, had sparked the two Montana victories with 58 points and 30 rebounds, a performance that earned him Player-of-the-Week honors in the Northwest Conference.
Also missing Monday for the Missionaries were junior guards Rich Harris, sidelined at least temporarily by an irregular heart beat, and Bryan Erlebach, who left the team prior to the games in Montana. Harris had averaged 7.8 points in Whitman's first four games before his chronic heart problem resurfaced. As a part-time starter last season, Erlebach averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds.
Scott Erickson, Whitman's other senior co-captain, was the only Missionary scoring in double figures Monday against Christian Heritage. Erickson hit four of seven shots from the floor, including three of six attempts from 3-point range, and finished with 13 points.
Junior Greg Caldwell added nine points and eight rebounds. Kyle Dalvit, also a junior, combined eight boards with six points. Getting his first start of the season, sophomore guard Mike Peterson chipped in with five assists and five rebounds.
Doomed by a slow start, the Missionaries shot just 16.1 percent from floor in the first half and trailed 43-14 at intermission.
Whitman, which has played six of its first eight games on the road, returns home this weekend to open its Northwest Conference schedule. The Missionaries host George Fox Friday and Pacific on Saturday. Both games start at 8 p.m., to be preceded at 6 p.m. each night by women's games between the two schools.
With the final sweep of the pendulum swinging in favor of the home team, the Whitman men outlasted George Fox for an 85-84 Northwest Conference victory Friday night in Sherwood Center. The conference opener for both squads left the Missionaries at 4-6 on the season while the Bruins slipped to 4-4.
After freshman point guard Greg Ricker hit three of four free throws in a span of eight seconds, Whitman held what appeared to be a comfortable 84-78 lead with 36 seconds left to play. But the Bruins countered with a freshman guard of their own, Aaron Schmick, who drilled back-to-back 3-point baskets to forge an 84-84 deadlock with 10.6 seconds left.
As the final seconds ticked away, Whitman's Ricker took charge, drawing a shooting foul as drove the left side of the lane. With 2.9 seconds on the clock, Ricker made his first free throw before missing the second. A desperation 3-point shot by the Bruins failed to draw iron at the buzzer.
Ricker, who finished with 10 points, six assists and four rebounds, was one of six Missionaries scoring in double figures. Casey Nelson, a 6-foot-5 junior post, led Whitman with 15 points and eight rebounds. Jake Pounds, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, registered a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Junior wing Greg Caldwell enjoyed his best night of the season, combining 11 points with seven boards. Caldwell was five of nine from the field, including three of five from 3-point range.
Senior Scott Erickson also hit three treys for the Missionaries to finish with 11 points and five assists. Erik Kofler, a 6-foot-8 freshman post, was big off the bench, scoring 10 points.
Kyle Dalvit, also a junior, added eight points and four rebounds, while sophomore guard Mike Peterson was a factor with seven points, five boards and three rebounds.
Mark Gayman, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, paced the Bruins with a game-high 26 points. He also grabbed 12 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for George Fox were Schmick with 14, Nate Tyler with 13 and Bryan Wadlow with 11.
The two teams battled on even terms through most of the first half. With Whitman leading 28-27, the Missionaries pieced together a 14-5 run to build a 42-32 cushion. Trevor Person nailed a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer, however, to trim the Bruin deficit to 42-35 at the break.
With Gayman doing most of the damage, George Fox opened the second half with a 23-9 spurt to seize a 58-51 lead with just over 13 minutes to play. Whitman's Peterson and Pounds hit 3-pointers to narrow that gap, but a Schmick trey followed by Person's 2-pointer produced a 71-63 Bruin lead with 7:53 remaining.
After Pounds responded with another 3-pointer, Kofler made two free throws and Nelson converted three of four. Pounds rebounded Nelson's missed free throw, setting the stage for a Caldwell bucket that pulled the Missionaries to within a point at 74-73.
Whitman finally pulled even on the scoreboard when Caldwell hit a 3-pointer at the 2:21 mark, knotting the score at 78-78. A minute later, Nelson's 3-point play in the paint put the Missionaries in front and led to the game's final shootout between Whitman's Ricker and George Fox's Schmick.
The Bruins shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half and finished at 50.7 percent for the game. Whitman shot 47.8 percent from the field, but the Missionaries won the rebound battle by a wide 47-30 margin.
Whitman played it second straight game without leading scorer and rebounder Mark Bouma, who suffered stress fractures in his right foot in late December.
The Missionaries host Pacific at 8 p.m. Saturday. Pacific lost 75-57 at Whitworth Friday night in Spokane.
Building a double-digit first-half lead on the strength of torrid shooting from the 3-point line, the Pacific men's basketball team rolled to a 72-58 Northwest Conference victory at Whitman Saturday night. The Boxers raised their record to 3-6 overall and 1-1 in conference. The Missionaries, also 1-1 in NWC, are 4-7 on the season.
With the score tied at 28 with eight minutes left in the first half, Pacific tallied 13 of the next 15 points. The Boxers struck twice from long range in the final two minutes to post a 45-32 lead at intermission. Pacific was nine of 15 from the 3-point arc in the opening stanza.
Whitman rallied to within six points, 53-47, midway through the second half, but Pacific answered with six straight points to push its lead back into double digits. The Missionaries drew no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Erin Gram paced Pacific with 17 points and seven assists. Nick Kelsey added 14 points and Paul Grock had 11.
Whitman's Casey Nelson converted 15 of 16 free throws and finished with a game-high 21 points. Nelson also led all rebounders with nine boards.
Greg Caldwell was the only other Missionary in double figures with 12 points. Kyle Dalvit snared seven rebounds to go with five points.
After its hot 3-point shooting in the first half, Pacific missed all seven of its 3-point attempts in the second half.
A rough shooting night from 3-point range doomed the Whitman men's basketball team to a 78-53 loss to Puget Sound Friday night in Tacoma. The Loggers evened their season record at 6-6 and improved to 1-2 in NWC action. Whitman saw its record fall to 4-8 and 1-2.
The Missionaries made just one of nine shots from 3-point range in falling behind 45-26 at the end of the first half. Whitman's marksmanship from long range remained lacking in the second stanza, when the Missionaries were just one of six from 3-point.
Kyle Dalvit posted a double-double for Whitman with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. With the 6-foot-11 Dalvit leading the way, the Missionaries finished the game with a 36-35 rebounding edge.
Greg Ricker was the only other Missionary scoring in double figures. The freshman point guard added 14 points, four assists and four steals. Junior Greg Caldwell combined nine points with four rebounds, while sophomore Nick Parker scored eight points off the bench.
With its offense struggling, especially in the second half, the Whitman men's basketball team absorbed a 61-47 Northwest Conference defeat Saturday night at Pacific Lutheran in Tacoma, Wash. The Lutes upped their record to 5-8 overall, 2-2 in conference. The Missionaries slipped to 4-9 and 1-3.
Pacific Lutheran, never trailing in the game, bolted to 21-6 lead midway through the first half. Whitman responded with an 11-0 run, capped by Kyle Dalvit's 3-point play and Cale Will's basket to trim its deficit to 21-17 with nearly six minutes left to play in the opening half. The Lutes pushed their cushion back into double digits, taking a 31-20 lead into the break.
Jake Pounds and Scott Erickson hit 3-point bombs for the Missionaries early in the second half. Erickson's trey, coming at the 15:31 mark, cut PLU's lead to 34-29. Over the next several minutes, however, the Lutes used a 21-4 scoring spurt to put the game away.
Greg Ricker, Whitman's freshman point guard, led the Missionaries with nine points, hitting three of five shots from the floor and all three of his free throws. Juniors Casey Nelson and Cale Will, who combined to make five of then shots from the field, added seven points apiece. Kyle Dalvit added seven rebounds, six points and five blocked shots.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell to Willamette Friday night at Sherwood Center, 81-61. Willamette improved to 10-2 on the season, undefeated at 4-0 in Northwest Conference play. Whitman fell to 4-10, 1-4
The potent Willamette attack was too much for Whitman as the Bearcats shot 52.6 percent from the field. This included 11 of 20 three-point shots.
The Missionaries remained close in the first half, tying the game at 26-26 before falling behind 37-30 at halftime.
Willamette came out firing early in the second frame behind the shooting of Harold Sublett Jr. He hit four jumpers and two free-throws in helping the Bearcats extend the lead to 56-38 with 15 minutes to play. Willamette cruised for the rest of the game, eventually winning 81-61.
The Missionaries shot well on the evening, making 24 of 55 shots, but reached the free-throw line only twice during the game. Willamette shot 12 free-throws, making 10 of them. Scoot Erickson led the Missionaries in scoring, with 12. Erickson hit two early three-pointers enroute to a 5 for 8 shooting night. Kyle Dalvit scored 10 points of 5 for 9 shooting, and Mark Bouma scored 10 points in limited playing time in his return from injury.
Freshman Greg Ricker had seven assists, and Erickson added four. Whitman's leading rebounders were Bouma, Dalvit, and Jake Pounds, each with four apiece.
Willamette had five players in double digits. Miles Sandgathe had 18, Ryan Hepp 16, Sublett Jr. 13, Brennan Garrelts 12, and B.J. Dobrkovsky 11. Hepp also added 10 assists.
Whitman hosts Linfield on Saturday, at 8 p.m. in Sherwood Center.
Hitting from long range 14 times over the course of the game, the Whitman men's basketball team downed Linfield 83-76 Saturday in Northwest Conference play. The Missionaries improved to 5-10 on the year, 2-4 in the NWC. Linfield dropped its second straight Northwest Conference match, and is 9-5, 2-3.
"We've had a tough go of it in league to this point," Whitman coach Skip Molitor noted. "This game was important for us, and it was nice to get a quality win."
The first half was close throughout, with five ties and five lead changes. After taking the lead 35-32 on a three-pointer from Jake Pounds, Whitman held onto the lead for the rest of the half, extending it to eight points, 46-38, at halftime.
The Missionaries came out firing early in the second half, behind the three point shooting of Scott Erickson and Greg Caldwell. Erickson hit six of 12 three-point shots on the evening, while Caldwell was four of five.
Linfield mounted a comeback midway through the second frame, however, and eventually tied the game at 67-67 on a three-pointer from Matt Larson. Caldwell responded with his own three-pointer and moments later Erickson also connected on another long range shot to stake a six point 73-67 lead. Linfield again staged a comeback, getting within two points, but was faced to foul down the stretch, and the Missionaries won 83-76.
Erickson led all scores, with 23, all from long range and five of six from the free-throw line. Mark Bouma hit six of nine shots for 13 points. "It was nice to get Bouma back this weekend," Molitor said. Caldwell scored 12 points, and Kyle Dalvit put in 10 points while collecting a team high seven rebounds. Freshman Greg Ricker had 11 assists, also a game high.
For the Wildcats, Larson scored 18 points off of six for 10 shooting to lead the team. Nick Fusare and Travis Jones each had 16 points while Jeff Dunn pitched in 10 points. Larson led the team with six assists and Fusare in rebounds, with five.
Whitman take on Whitworth next Tuesday, at 8 p.m. in Spokane.
Whitworth rode a second-half scoring surge to an 88-55 victory over the Whitman men's basketball team in a Northwest Conference game Tuesday night in Spokane. The Pirates, ranked No. 15 nationally, outscored the Missionaries 55-32 in the second half and improved to 15-1 overall, 6-1 in NWC. The Missionaries dropped to 5-11, 2-5.
Scott Erickson's jumper at the 14:16 mark of the first half gave Whitman a 7-6 lead, but Whitworth seized control by scoring 11 straight points. Kyle Dalvit's layup and Mark Bouma's free throw trimmed Whitman's deficit to 20-14 with 5:26 left in the first half. The Pirates surged again, however, and led 33-23 at the break.
After Dalvit opened the second half with a layup, Whitworth kicked its offense into high gear, scoring the next 14 points for a 47-25 lead. In shooting 69 percent from the floor in the second half, the Pirates extended their lead to as many as 39 points.
"We competed relatively well in the first half," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "We did a decent job rebounding and defending, and we held a high-scoring team to 33 points at the half. Unfortunately, we had scoring problems of our own in the first half."
"The second half was a different story," Molitor added. "Whitworth played like a top 20 team. There is a reason those guys are 15-1 on the season."
Dalvit, one of the few Missionaries who didn't suffer through a tough shooting night, finished with 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Junior guard Cale Will scored 13 points in 14 minutes off the bench, hitting three of four 3-point attempts and five of six shots from the floor. Freshman Erik Kolfer made all three of shots from the field, including a 3-pointer, to finish with eight points and four rebounds in 18 minutes.
"The starters struggled, but it was nice to get a good lift tonight from our bench," Molitor said. "What we got for bench, though, wasn't enough to keep us in contact with an excellent team."
Whitworth shot 56.7 percent from the floor, including 10 of 23 3-point shots. Whitman shot a more modest 37.5 percent from the floor, and made six of its 19 3-pointers. Whitman outrebounded the Pirates 34-33, but trailed in the assists column, 27-13.
The Missionaries play Lewis & Clark, the defending NWC champion, at 8 p.m. Friday in Portland.
The Whitman men's basketball team found itself on the losing end of a double-overtime thriller Friday night in Northwest Conference play versus Lewis & Clark College. Lewis & Clark, the defending NWC champion, jumped ahead early in the second extra period and held on for a 102-93 victory. The loss drops the Missionaries to 5-12 on the season, 2-6 in conference. The Pioneers are 9-7, 4-3.
"It was a heart-breaker to lose," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said, "but we played well tonight."
Whitman never trailed in the first half, taking an initial 2-0 lead off a Kyle Dalvit layup and building it to 15 points off a Scott Erickson three- pointer with 7:06 to play. The Missionaries had a hot hand, making 60 percent of their shots, including eight of 12 three-pointers. At halftime the lead was 11, 46-35.
During the second half, Whitman built its lead to 14 points with 12:13 left to play in the game off of another three-point shot, this one from Greg Caldwell. Over the next six minutes, however, the Pioneers hit four shots from behind the arc during a 20-1 run.
Trailing 72-67 with 6:46 to play, Whitman rolled off five straight points and tied the game at 72-72. Neither team built more than a three-point lead during the rest of the period. Caldwell hit another three-pointer with 46 seconds left, sending the game into overtime tied at 77-77.
Whitman controlled the first overtime, leading 86-83 with 1:35 to play, but the Pioneers connected from long range with 39 seconds remaining, and the game continued tied at 86-86.
Lewis & Clark streaked ahead with eight straight points to open the second overtime, and held on to win the game, 102-93.
Caldwell finished with a game high 30 points, hitting eight out of ten three-pointers, and added eight rebounds. Scott Erickson had 14 points and 11 assists while shooting six for 16. Freshman Greg Ricker also had 14 points, hitting eight of ten free-throws and two of four shots from the floor.
Dalvit hit six of eleven shots in finishing with 12 points and ten rebounds. As a team, the Missionaries shots 51.5 percent from the floor, hitting 15 of 28 from long range.
Whitman travels to George Fox and Pacific next weekend for games on Friday and Saturday night. Both games with start at 8 p.m.
Holding George Fox scoreless in the final 3:49, the Whitman men's basketball team escaped a second half comeback to win 71-65 Friday night in a Northwest Conference match-up. Whitman improved its season recond to 6-12, 3-6. The Bruins fell to 6-11, 1-8.
Senior Mark Bouma returned to full force after an injury in late-December, scoring 24 points. He shot nine for 17, grabbed six rebounds and had two assists.
"It was nice to open the second half of league with a road victory," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "Our two senior captains stepped up tonight and our defensive pressure was good."
George Fox opened the game with a 6-0 run, but Whitman battled back, tying the contest at 8-8 with 15:19 to play in the first half. Neither team staked more than a five point lead for the rest of the half, and Whitman had the edge at halftime, 31-28.
The Missionaries built their lead to 13 points with 13:04 to play in the game. Bouma ingnited the offense with 11 points in the first seven minutes, but a 12-1 by the Bruins cut the lead to two points with 9:58 remaining. George Fox took its first lead, 63-61, with 4:44 to play, but the Missionaries ended the game on a 10-2 run, winning 71-65.
Greg Caldwell scored 13 points for Whitman, shooting five of 11, including three of nine from long range. Scott Erickson added 12 points and seven assists. Kyle Dalvit led the team in rebounds with eight, and scored eight points in 22 minutes of play.
The Missionaries hit 10 of 23 long range shots, and were 11 of 13 from the free-throw line.
Whitman plays Saturday night at Pacific, with a start time of 8 p.m.
The Whitman men's basketball team dropped a Northwest Conference road game to Pacific Saturday night, falling 75-57. The Missionaries are 6-13 overall, 3-7 in conference play. Pacific improved to 8-11, 5-5.
The Boxers opened the game with a 10-2 run, but a pair of three-pointers by Scott Erickson and Greg Caldwell cut the lead to 10-8. Caldwell then hit a free-throw to lower the margin to one point, but another run, this time 18-5, gave the Boxers a 15 point lead.
Whitman was able to score the final three points of the half, cutting the lead to 11 points at halftime, 31-20.
With 16:32 to play in the second half, the Boxers opened up a 16 points lead, 40-24, and Whitman would never get any closer than 13 points the rest of the way.
The Missionaries had three players in double figures. Erickson lead the way, scoring 13 points, hitting five of six free-throws and two of five three-pointers. Caldwell added 12 points, four of eleven from the floor and two of seven from long range. Junior Kyle Dalvit had 10 points, hitting four of his eight shots.
Senior Mark Bouma was held to just two points in 30 minutes of play, but grabbed 10 rebounds. Freshman Greg Ricker dished out five assists on the night.
Whitman returns home next weekend, playing the University of Puget Sound on Friday and Pacific Lutheran on Saturday. Both games start at 8 p.m.
Senior Mark Bouma had 18 points and junior Greg Caldwell had 16 points to lead the Whitman men's basketball team over the University of Puget Sound Friday, 81-71 in Walla Walla.
Whitman improved to 4-7 in conference, 7-13 overall. UPS fell to 4-7 in conference, 9-11 overall.
"I thought it was a really nice team effort," said coach Skip Molitor. The Missionaries had four players scoring in double- figures and two other players with eight points apiece.
Caldwell scored the first five Whitman points, sparking an 18-8 run to open the game. The rest of the first half was played back and forth by both sides, with the Loggers getting only as close as six, but Whitman unable to extend its lead past 11.
UPS clawed its way back to within 50-47 with 11:20 remaining, led by junior Matt Glynn's 16 second-half points. A pair of three- pointers by Caldwell and a jumper by junior Casey Nelson pushed the lead back to eight, and the Loggers never got closer than five the rest of the way.
Nelson led the Missionary bench with eight points as Whitman outscored the UPS bench, 17-9. "We got strong bench contributions," noted Molitor.
The Missionaries return to their home floor tomorrow night to take on Pacific Lutheran University at 8pm. Whitman fell to PLU earlier this season in Tacoma, 61-47.
The Whitman men's basketball team dropped a Northwest Conference game to Pacific Lutheran, 63-49 Saturday night in Walla Walla. The Missionaries shot just 34.0 percent from the floor against the second best defense in the conference, and fell to 7-14 overall, 4-8 in conference play. PLU is 8-13, 5-7.
"We've got to give them some credit," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said, "they're a good defensive team, and they played like it tonight."
Whitman jumped on top first on a shot by Kyle Dalvit, and held a 14-9 edge after a Mark Bouma jumper with 14:14 to play in the first half. Pacific Lutheran ran off the next nine points, however, and built a 31-22 lead with 5:25 to go in the period. Neither team managed much more offense in the final five minutes, and PLU took a 10-point, 35-25 lead into the break.
The Missionary offense never found its rhythm in the second half, and PLU held at least a five point advantage throughout. Whitman hit just six of 24 attempts from three-point range. Junior Greg Caldwell hit five of those, finishing with 17 points on 12 attempts. First-year player Greg Ricker had five points, five assists and two steals.
"We played too tight tonight," Molitor said, "and made a lot of mistakes." The Missionaries had 16 turnovers, but forced PLU into 22 turnovers. Whitman lost the battle on the boards, however, picking up just 25 to the Lutes' 42.
"We're going to have to pick it up on the road now," Molitor noted. "Casey Nelson had a strong weekend after having back problems, and Greg Caldwell has hit his stride." Nelson hit three of four shots for 11 points, and had six rebounds.
The Missionaries play away next weekend, with games against Willamette and Linfield. Whitman split the games with the two opponents in January, beating Linfield after losing to Willamette. Both games on Friday and Saturday start at 8 p.m.
A late surge by the Willamette Bearcats was enough to overcome the Whitman men's basketball team Friday night, 62-49, in a Northwest Conference match-up in Salem, Ore. The Missionaries fell to 7-15, 4-9 in conference play. Willamette is 15-5, 9-3.
Whitman forced the Bearcats into 16 turnovers on the night, and trailed 48-46 with just 4:07 to play in the game. Willamette surged ahead with 14-3 run over the final minutes, however, pulling away to win 62-49.
The Missionaries trailed early on, 11-8, but a layup by Nick Parker and two free-throws by Casey Nelson with 10:18 to play gave Whitman its first lead of the night at 12-11. The Missionaries extended the lead to 17-11, capping the 9-0 run with a three-pointer by Cale Will. Whitman lead by eight points, 23-15, with 6:04 to play in the period, but trailed at the half, 26-25.
Willamette scored the first four points of the second half, taking a 30-25 lead with 18:57 to play. Bouma cut the lead to one point at 32-31 with a layup, but the Bearcats again scored four straight and lead 36-31. The defensive battle continued much of the second half, and Willamette didn't pull away till its run late in the game.
Nelson came off the bench to lead the Missionaries in scoring with 13 points. Bouma also scored in double figures, chipping in 11 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of playing time. Freshman Greg Ricker continued his solid play, scoring six points and having five assists on two of four shooting.
The Missionaries struggled from three-point range, hitting just one of 13 attempts in the loss. Whitman shot 35.8 percent from the floor on the night, compared to 42.3 percent from Willamette.
Whitman plays at Linfield on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Missionaries beat the Wildcats in Walla Walla in January, 83-76.
Unable to hold onto an eight point first half lead, the Whitman men's basketball team fell to Linfield, 85-74 Saturday in a Northwest Conference game. The Missionaries dropped their third straight, and are 7-16 overall, 4-10 in conference play. Linfield is 14-8, 7-6.
Junior Greg Caldwell had 21 points, five rebounds and Senior Mark Bouma finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Caldwell hit seven of his 16 attempts, including five of 11 from behind the three point arc. Bouma knocked down seven of 12 shots from the floor.
The Missionaries played well in the first half, extending their lead to as many as eight points. Jake Pounds broke a 12-12 tie with a jumper at 13:13 to play in the first half and started Whitman on a 10-2 run over the next 3:54. Pounds and Junior guard Cale Will each hit a three-pointer and Bouma knocked down a shot during the stretch.
Linfield scored eight straight, however, and the rest of the half remained close. First-year guard Greg Ricker gave the Missionaries a 34-32 halftime edge, making the final shot of the half with 46 seconds remaining.
The Wildcats opened the second half with a 9-4 run, staking a 43-36 lead with 16:58 to play. The Missionaries cut the lead to four on two Ricker free throws at 47-43, but would never get any closer.
Whitman was plagued with turnovers, giving the ball away 23 times during the game. The Missionaries hit 46.7 percent of their shots from the floor in the first half, compared to only 34.2 percent for the Wildcats. The tides turned in the second half, however, as the Missionaries hit just 37.0 percent and Linfield knocked down 52.9 percent of its shots, including five of seven from long range.
Ricker finished with eight points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Junior Casey Nelson had seven points, seven rebounds and four assists in limited playing time.
Whitman plays a mid-week game with Whitworth on Tuesday at Sherwood Center before playing its season finale with Lewis & Clark St. on Saturday. Both game begin at 8 p.m.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell to Northwest Conference rival Whitworth Tuesday night, 82-58, in Sherwood Center. The Missionaries dropped to 7-17 overall, 4-11 in conference. Whitworth, ranked 14th nationally, improved its conference best record to 21-3, 12-3.
The Pirates came off the opening tip firing, hitting their first four shots to take a 10-0 lead 2:48 into the game. The Missionaries had no answer for the opening run, and fell behind 21-4 with 11:20 to play in the first half. The Pirates opened up a 24 point lead with just seconds left in the half, but a late three by Scott Erickson cut it to 21.
The Missionaries hit 10 of 30 shots in the first half, but Whitworth nailed 18 of 29 shots in taking a 44-23 lead into the break.
The Missionaries never got within 18 points in the second half as Whitworth continued to shoot well from the floor, hitting 51.7 percent of its shots in the second half. Whitman hit three of seven three point attempts in the half, as did Whitworth. In the end, it was the Pirates shooting 56.9 percent from the floor and control of the boards that downed the Missionaries, 82-58. Whitworth grabbed 39 caroms to the Missionaries 26.
Whitman's lone scorer in double figures was Casey Nelson, who came off the bench for 12 points. Nelson hit five of eight shots in 19 minutes of play. Freshman Greg Ricker had seven points, four assists and three rebounds. Erickson and Greg Caldwell each had eight points.
Whitman will play its final game of the season this Saturday. The game against Lewis and Clark will begin at 8 p.m.
The Whitman men's basketball team lost to Lewis & Clark 80-69 Saturday night in the final game of the season for the Missionaries. Whitman dropped its fifth straight, ending the season 7-18 overall, 4-12 in Northwest Conference play. Lewis & Clark improved to 16-8, 12-4.
Playing in their final game as Missionaries were seniors Mark Bouma and Scott Erickson. Bouma hit seven of 14 shots, including four of six from behind the three point arc, to finish with a team high 18 points. Erickson dished out four assists and finished with five points.
Whitman fell behind early in the first half, but tied the game at 13-13 off a Greg Caldwell jumper with 11:23 to play. The Pioneers led 22-19 before going on a 10-2 run to jump out to a 32-21 lead with 5:22 left. They would extend their lead to as much as 14 in the final minutes of the half, but a Bouma three point shot with 1:16 to go cut the lead to 11 at half, 45-34.
The first five Missionary points of the second half were scored by Caldwell, igniting a 16-5 run that left the game tied 50-50 with 13:04 to play in the game. The Pioneers then scored nine of the next 11 points, staking a seven point lead. Whitman fought back again, cutting the lead to one at 61-60, but the Pioneers controlled the final minutes of the game, winning 80-69.
Casey Nelson came off the bench to score 12 points in 23 minutes of play. Caldwell was the only other Missionary in double figures, with 10 on four of 10 shooting. Kyle Dalvit led the team on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds.
Whitman shot 49.1 percent from the floor compared to 45.3 percent for the Pioneers, but Lewis & Clark outrebound Whitman 36-30. The Pioneers also only turned the ball over seven times, forcing the Missionaries into 14 miscues.
Whitman ends its season with a 4-12 conference record, placing them eighth in the Northwest Conference.