The Whitman men's basketball team dropped its season opener Friday night, falling to Concordia University 98-93 in Walla Walla, Wash. Concordia, an NAIA Div. II school, improved to 2-2 on the year, and the Missionaries are 0-1.
"This was an exciting home opener," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "We did a lot of good things tonight against a team that went to the NAIA national tournament last year." Concordia tied for first place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference last year with a 22-8 record.
Senior Matt Airy had the hot hand in the first half, knocking down his first four three-point shots and finishing the half with 17 points. Airy hit one more shot from long range in the second half, finishing with a team best and career high 20 points. Four other Missionaries reached double digits on the night. Kyle Dalvit hit eight of 12 for 18 points, and finished with seven rebounds. Senior Cale Will came off the bench and scored 14, knocking down four of seven three-pointers. Senior Casey Nelson contributed 10 points, as did sophomore guard Greg Ricker. Nelson hit four of five shots from the floor, and was perfect in two attempts from the free-throw line.
"Our big guys played really well tonight," Molitor noted. "Both Casey Nelson and Kyle Dalvit were solid."
Both teams shot the ball well in the first half. Whitman hit 61.1 percent of its shots and went into the break with a 56-54 lead. The Missionaries were 10 of 15 from long range in the half, while Concordia knocked down six of nine. Nelson hit the first shot of the game, and the Missionaries jumped out to a 22-12 lead in the game's first six minutes. Concordia battled back and cut the lead to one point at 31-30 with 8:59 left in the half. Will then hit a three-pointer, which was followed by a Mike Peterson long bomb to stake a 37-30 lead. Whitman trailed for just the second time with 2:50 left in the period, but regained the lead at 54-51 with under a minute left on an Airy three-point shot. Sophomore Erik Kofler notched the final points for Whitman in the half with just five seconds on the clock.
Concordia quickly gained the lead in the second half, taking a 62-59 advantage just 1:31 seconds into the period. They would not relinquish the lead, and built a 15-point, 84-69 lead with 11:06 left in the game. Dalvit scored the next six points, making it a nine-point game. The Missionaries made a late run, scoring eight straight points to make it 89-87 with under three minutes to go. That is as close as Whitman would get, however, as Concordia held on for a 98-93 win.
"I was pleased with our second half comeback," Molitor said, "especially against a quality team like Concordia."
The Missionaries travel to Helena, Mont. next weekend to play in the Carroll Kiwania Classic.
The starting backcourt of Greg Ricker and Mike Peterson combined for 21 points, seven assists and four rebounds to spark the Whitman men's basketball team to a 62-55 victory over the University of Great Falls in Friday's opening round of the Carroll-Kiwanis Classic in Helena, Mont.
Whitman, now 1-1 on the season, advances to play the host school, Carroll College, in Saturday's 8 p.m. title game. Carroll raised its season mark to 8-1 with a 70-62 win over Whitworth Friday night.
The Missionaries led by just a single point, 33-32, at halftime. In the second stanza, Whitman pulled away on the strength of a stingy defense. The Argonauts made just seven of 29 shots from the floor over the final 20 minutes. For the game, Great Falls shot just 32.5 percent from the field.
Several Missionaries, on the other hand, had no trouble shooting the ball.
Ricker, Whitman's sophomore point guard, hit four of six shots from the floor while scoring 11 points and dishing five assists. Both numbers were team highs for the Missionaries. Peterson, a junior, made three of four shots from the field while scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds.
Both Peterson and Ricker made two of three 3-point attempts. As a team, the Missionaries canned 10 of 24 shots from long range. Great Falls was just three of 15 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Whitman made the most of a balanced scoring attacked. Five players tallied between nine and 11 points. Casey Nelson, a senior, was four of eight from the floor, scoring 10 points to go with seven rebounds. Senior Cale Will and sophomore Erik Kofler added nine points each. Kofler was highly effective in 13 minutes of playing time, making all three of his shots from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and his only two free throws. The 6-foot-8 post player also blocked three shots and pulled down four rebounds.
With senior Jake Pounds grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, Whitman outboarded Great Falls 37-33. As a team, the Missionaries shot 43.2 percent from the floor.
With 13 players cracking the scoring column, the Carroll College men's basketball team rolled to a 72-58 victory over Whitman in Saturday's title game of the Carroll-Kiwanis Classic in Helena, Mont. The Missionaries dropped to 1-2 on the season. Carroll elevated its record to 9-1.
Senior Kyle Dalvit and sophomore Greg Ricker led Whitman in scoring, notching 13 and 12 points, respectively. Dalvit made five of his 10 shots from the floor, while Ricker was four of six from the field. Seniors Matt Airy and Jake Pounds picked off five rebounds each to lead the Missionaries on the boards.
Ricker was named to the all-tournament team.
The Fighting Saints, ranked No. 24 nationally in NAIA Div. I, eased in front 35-26 at the break and then pulled away in the second half. Carroll forced Whitman in 23 turnovers while committing just seven of its own.
The Whitman men's basketball team scored 45 points in the second half to beat Great Falls 74-54 in Friday's final game of opening day in the Wild Horse Resort Classic at Whitman College. Whitman improved to 2-2 on the season while Great falls goes to 3-7 on the season.
Whitman led 29-24 at halftime, after both teams had shot under 40 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Coach Skip Molitor commended the Argos on their style of play. "Great Falls is a tough team to get rid of; they scratch and claw and play very patiently. It was nice to hold the momentum in the second half."
Nick Parker, a junior forward, came off the bench to spark Whitman's victory, scoring a career-high 19 points in 16 minutes. Notching 13 of his points in the second half, Parker was 5-7 from outside the arc while the Missionaries shot 45 percent as a team from 3-point range, hitting 15 of 33 shots. Mike Peterson, Jake Pounds, Greg Caldwell and Matt Airy all hit two 3-pointers each.
Whitman controlled the boards for the game, outrebounding the Argos 41-39. Casey Nelson led with 10 rebounds, five on each end of the floor. Whitman had 20 assists as a team with Greg Ricker leading the game with six. His backcourt mate, Mike Peterson, added four assists.
"It was a real nice effort from a depth stand point, Ricker played the floor well and Casey had a nice night on the boards,"added coach Molitor.
Of the 13 Missionaries who played in the game, all but one scored.
The Wildhorse Resort Classic concludes Saturday with a full slate of games on both the women's and men's side. The Whitman men play Western Baptist at 4 p.m.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell in overtime to Western Baptist 98-86 Saturday in Walla Walla, Wash. Western Baptist, a NAIA Div. I school, improved to 5-2 on the season by winning the Wildhorse Casino Classic title. The Missionaries fell to 2-3 on the year.
The Missionaries trailed for most of the first half and went into the break down 42-36. Whitman hit 13 of its 27 shots from the floor in the period, while Western Baptist knocked down 16 of 33. Senior Jake Pounds hit a long range shot in the first minute of the second half to cut the lead to three. Casey Nelson and Erik Kofler followed up with jumpers as the Missionaries scored the first seven points of the half to take the lead, 43-42. Whitman built its biggest lead of the game on a Greg Caldwell jumper at the 8:09 mark, 64-58. They held the lead until the final minute of play, when Western Baptist hit a jumper to tie the game at 78-78 and send it to overtime. In the extra period, Western Baptist controlled play, outscoring the Missionaries 20-8 while making 11 of 12 free-throws.
Sophomore Greg Ricker scored a career-high 27 points in the game, including 17 after halftime. Ricker hit 10 of his 15 shots from the floor, including two shots from long range. Caldwell and Matt Airy also scored in double digits for the Missionaries, with 13 points and 10 points, respectively. Kofler grabbed eight rebounds during the game, and Caldwell had seven. Caldwell and Ricker were both named to the all-tournament team.
"Greg Ricker really took control in the second half," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "He put us in a position to win the game."
Western Baptist's Eric Fiegi was named the tournament's most valuable player, scoring 34 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Saturday's game. Jeff Dunn was also named to the all-tournament team, scoring 21 points against Whitman.
The Missionaries next travel to Evergreen State College on Saturday, Dec. 13 for a non-conference game.
The Whitman men's basketball team lost in a non-conference match-up with Evergreen State College Saturday night in Olympia, Wash., falling 86-72. The Missionaries dropped to 2-4 with the loss, while Evergreen improved its record to 3-5.
Whitman received good production from its two senior post players, Casey Nelson and Kyle Dalvit. Nelson led the team with 16 points and nine rebounds, hitting six of 10 shots and four of six free throws. Dalvit chipped in 13 points, making five of six from the floor. Greg Caldwell had 11 points and sophomore Greg Ricker scored nine points, grabbed eight rebounds and had five assists.
Whitman hit 46.2 percent of its shots in the first half, but trailed 39-33 as Evergreen got off 16 more shots. Evergreen shot 38 times from long range during the game, making 14, while the Missionaries hit seven of 20 from behind the arc. Whitman also struggled from the free-throw line, making just half of its 26 attempts.
Whitman plays its next two games in Honolulu, Hawaii as part of the Whitworth Hawaiian Classic. The Missionaries will take on Menlo College on Sunday, Dec. 21 and Azusa Pacific on Monday, Dec. 22.
Greg Caldwell scored a game-high 15 points while Kyle Dalvit combined 10 points with nine rebounds as the Whitman men's basketball team rolled to an 84-33 drubbing of Menlo College Sunday at the Whitworth Hawaiian Classic in Honololu.
All 12 Missionaries cracked the scoring column as Whitman raised its season record to 3-4. Menlo, an NAIA Div. II school and member of the California Pacific Conference, saw its record fall to 1-6.
Whitman plays its second and final game of the tournament on Monday, squaring off with Azusa Pacific, a perennial NAIA Div. I national powerhouse and winner of 10 of the last 11 Golden State Athletic Conference titles. Azusa played its first tourney game on Saturday, pounding Menlo 92-49.
Menlo grabbed an early 6-2 lead in its Sunday game with Whitman. The Missionaries outscored the Oaks 40-12 through the remainder of the first half, however, to build a 42-18 lead at the break. Whitman then opened the second half on a 13-0 run, holding Menlo scoreless for more than five minutes, to put the game well out of reach.
Utilizing a distinct size advantage, the Missionaries outboarded Menlo 54-16. Dalvit, Whitman's 6-foot-11 senior center, snared his nine rebounds in just 14 minutes of court time. Kyle Born, a 6-foot-5 freshman forward, also grabbed nine boards, playing just 10 minutes.
As a team, Whitman shot 56.7 percent from the floor, hitting 34 of 60 shots. Caldwell, a 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard, was five of seven from the field, including three of five from the 3-point arc. Cale Will, a 6-foot-1 senior, contributed 12 points, making four of his five 3-point attempts.
Greg Ricker, a 6-foot-2 sophomore point guard, had a solid night for the Missionaries, handing out seven assists to go with seven points and five rebounds. Nick Parker, a 6-foot-6 junior, had a good night off the bench, adding nine points, five boards and four assists.
Menlo shot just 25.5 percent from the floor as a team. Mike Watters and Kylke Arneson were Menlo's leading scorers with six points apiece.
Despite shooting nearly 57 percent from the floor, the Whitman men’s basketball team failed to keep pace with high-powered Azusa Pacific Monday afternoon, falling 96-79 in the final game of the Whitworth Hawaiian Classic in Honolulu.
Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 25 nationally in NAIA Div. I, won its seventh straight game and raised its season record to 9-3. Whitman dropped to 3-5 overall.
With five players scoring in double figures, Azusa Pacific used a 21-1 run midway through the second half to blow open a close game.
Paced by 11 points from both senior Kyle Dalvit and sophomore Greg Ricker, Whitman led for much of the first half. Senior Jake Pounds hit a 3-pointer at the 11:19 mark of the opening stanza to give the Missionaries their largest lead at eight points, 29-21.
Azusa Pacific’s Jeff Bates converted a pair of free throws to even the score at 37-37 with 4:34 left in the first half. The two teams deadlocked again at 44-44 before Cougars eased in front 49-47 at the break.
After Whitman’s Ricker opened the second-half scoring with a jumper, Azusa Pacific moved in front 60-53 with 16 minutes left on the clock. The Missionaries responded with a 9-0 spurt, taking their final lead of the night, 62-60, at the 13:42 mark. Mike Peterson and Matt Airy hit 3-pointers to key and then cap the rally.
Over the next six minutes, though, it was all Azusa Pacific. Four 3-pointers fueled a 21-1 outburst that lifted the Courgars into an 81-63 lead with 7:25 remaining.
Azusa Pacific, which hit 56.3 percent of its second-half shots (18 of 32), outrebounded Whitman 35-31 on the night. The Missionaries also committed 16 turnovers, 11 more than the Cougars.
Ricker, Whitman’s leading scorer this season, finished with 15 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Dalvit, one of eight players named to the all-tournament team, notched his first double-double of the season, combining 14 points with a game-high 11 rebounds. Playing limited minutes in Sunday’s one-sided victory over Menlo, Dalvit had 10 points and nine boards.
Whitman canned 60.7 percent of its first-half shots from the floor (17 of 28) against Azusa Pacific. The Missionaries cooled off slightly in the secnod half, making 12 of 23 shots to finish with a 56.9 percent shooting percentage for the game.
Dalvit, a 6-foot-11 center, paced the Missionary sharpshooters, making six of eight shots from the floor. For the season, Dalvit is shooting 58.6 percent and averaging 10.2 points per game.
Airy, who made all three of his 3-point attempts, added 11 points against Azusa Pacific. Airy was one of five Missionaries who enjoyed a perfect night from the 3-point arc. Caldwell and Pounds were both two of two from long range, while Peterson and Nick Parker were both one of one. As a team, Whitman was ten of 18 from long-range against the Cougars.
Casey Nelson, a senior forward, chipped in with nine points, four rebounds and four assists for the Missionaries. Pounds finished with eight points and four boards.
Whitman’s next game is Sunday, Jan. 4, when it hosts Walla Walla College.
Sophomore point guard Greg Ricker scored 22 points and dished eight assists to lead the Whitman men's basketball team to a 97-75 victory over Walla Walla College Sunday night in Sherwood Center.
The Missionaries improved to 4-5 on the season, while the visiting Wolves dropped to 2-16.
As a team, Whitman shot 54.3 percent from the floor and had four players score in double figures. Kyle Dalvit, a 6-foot-11 senior center, scored 14 points and blocked a pair of shots. Two other seniors had strong nights -- Matt Airy, who combined 13 points with nine rebounds, and Casey Nelson, who added 12 points and eight boards.
Ricker was one of eight Missionaries who hit at least 50 percent of their shots from the floor. Ricker was eight of 10 from the field, including both of his 3-point attempts. He also made four of five free throws.
Leading 48-45 at halftime, the Missionaries opened the second half on an 18-9 run to extend its cushion to 66-54 with 11:31 left to play. A trio of 3-point baskets, two by Cale Will and one by Greg Caldwell, sparked a 21-10 spurt that gave Whitman an 87-64 lead with 6:03 remaining. Over the next three minutes, baskets by Airy, Nelson and Dalvit produced Whitman's largest lead of the night at 93-66.
With Airy hitting three of five shots from the 3-point arc, Whitman made 12 of 25 shots (46.2 percent) from long range. Seven other Missionaries made at least one 3-pointer.
Andy Taylor and Ashton Bartlett each scored 22 points to pace Walla Walla College. The Wolves hit 12 of 33 3-point attempts.
Whitman won the rebounding battle, 45-36. Walla Walla's Mark McEowen led all rebounders with 10.
The two teams traded scoring spurts in the first half. The Missionaries used a 16-3 run to grab a 40-25 lead at the 7:09 mark. The Wolves responded by scoring 16 unanswered points to take its last lead of the night at 41-40. Airy's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Whitman its 3-point lead at the break.
Whitman hosts Prairie Bible College (Three Hills, Alberta, Canada) in an exhibition game at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5. That game will be preceded at noon by a women's exhibition game between the same two schools.
The Missionary teams open their Northwest Conference schedules at home this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, against Willamette and Lewis & Clark.
Hitting four 3-pointers apiece, seniors Matt Airy and Greg Caldwell each scored 14 points to lead the Whitman men's basketball team to a 72-56 exhibition game victory over Canada's Prairie Bible College Monday afternoon in in Sherwood Center. The outcome does not count on Whitman's season win-loss record, and individual statistics are not included either as part of the NCAA record.
Junior Nick Parker added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Missionaries, who overcame a 27-26 halftime deficit. The visiting Pilots, who made just six field goals in the first half, compensated by making 12 of 18 free throw attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
While Prairie Bible went to the charity stripe just three times in the second half, making two, the Missionaries sharpened their shooting touch down the stretch. Whitman shot 53.1 percent (17-32) after the intermission to fuel its rally. Parker's 3-pointer with 1:47 left to play gave the Missionaries their largest lead of the afternoon at 67-48.
As a team, Whitman capitalized on a dozen 3-pointers, two more than Prairie Bible (Three Hills, Alberta). The Missionaries also outrebounded the Pilots 44-31.
Whitman begins Northwest Conference play this weekend, hosting Willamette on Friday and Lewis & Clark on Saturday. Both games begin at 8 p.m., following women's games at 6 p.m.
Down 36-29 at halftime, the Whitman men's basketball team rallied for a 64-63 victory over Willamette Sunday night in Sherwood Center as the two teams made a late start to the Northwest Conference season. The game, delayed 48 hours by extreme winter weather, left both teams with 5-5 season records.
"It was very apparent tonight that we have six seniors and 10 returning players," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "We didn't panic when trailing and were very methodical in our comeback."
Sophomore Greg Ricker, who fueled the rally by scoring 13 of his 17 points in the second-half, hit a 3-pointer with 1:18 remaining to give Whitman one of its few leads of the night at 63-61. After Willamette's Josh Erickson hit a jumper with six seconds left to knot the score, Ricker corraled a long inbounds pass and fed senior Casey Nelson for a layin attempt. Fouled on the play as the ball was swatted away, Nelson made the first of two free throws to provide the winning margin.
"This was a great way to start league play," Molitor said. "Greg Ricker made a great play at the end to get Casey Nelson that shot, and Casey made a clutch free throw."
Ricker, who knocked down 11 of Whitman's final 17 points, made eight of his 14 shots from the floor. Now shooting 57 percent on the season, Ricker also contributed five rebounds and four assists. Nelson scored 16 points, hitting seven of nine shots, and picked off five rebounds. Senior Jake Pounds with 11 points and sophomore Erik Kofler with seven rebounds highlighted a strong performance by Whitman's bench.
The Bearcats jumped on top early, taking advantage of Whitman turnovers to lead 25-11 with 11:29 left in the first half. Trailing 27-14, Whitman ran off seven straight points capped by a Nelson jumper to climb back into the game as halftime approached.
Whitman outscored Willamette 8-4 in the opening five-plus minutes of the second half to narrow its deficit to three points, 40-37. Not until Ricker hit a jumper at the 7:08 mark, however, did the Missionaries catch the Bearcats at 49-49. Pounds nailed a 3-pointer with 5:05 on the game clock to give Whitman its first lead of the second stanza at 54-52. The lead changed sides five times over the next two minutes before Ricker hit a jumper to tie the score at 60-60 and set the stage for the game's deciding plays.
The Missionaries continue their conference schedule on Monday as they host Lewis & Clark College at Sherwood Center.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell to Lewis and Clark 85-76 Monday night in Walla Walla, Wash. in a Northwest Conference game. The game - which was delayed two days due to inclement weather - was the Pioneers' first conference win. Lewis and Clark improved to 8-3 overall, 1-1 in the NWC. Whitman dropped its first league game, and is 5-6, 1-1.
The Missionaries were unable to stop Lewis & Clark's Ryan Wells, who made 12 three-point shots on the evening and finished with a game-high 36 points. 46 of the Pioneers' 59 attempts from the floor were from beyond the arc, and they knocked down 18. Whitman hit 11 of 32 from long range.
Casey Nelson led the Missionaries offensively, hitting eight of nine from the floor for 20 points. Nelson also grabbed six rebounds, three on each end of the floor. Greg Caldwell had 14 points, Greg Ricker 11, and Kyle Dalvit 10. Ricker led the team in assists with seven, while Dalvit grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
"We rolled the dice a bit tonight," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "John Mietus and Danny Winchester combined for 59 points last night at Whitworth and we tried to keep the ball away from them." Mietus finished the night with 17, while Winchester knocked down 10 points.
The Pioneers grabbed the largest lead of the first half with 2:26 to play, at 40-31. Whitman knocked down eight of the final 12 points, though, and went into the break down by five. A Nelson layup early in the second half made the score 46-44 in favor of the Pioneers. That was as close as Whitman would come, however, as Lewis & Clark scored six straight and outgunned Whitman down the stretch for a nine-point win.
"We competed well tonight," Molitor noted. "We had good play at the post and point positions, but we've got to be at our best to beat a team of this caliber."
The Missionaries take to the road next weekend as they play conference games against Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran.
The Whitman men's basketball team was unable to slow down the high-scoring offense of Puget Sound as it lost 104-84 Friday evening in Tacoma, Wash. The Loggers are third in scoring in the nation, averaging 107.1 points-per-game. Whitman dropped to 5-7 overall, 1-2 in Northwest Conference play. Puget Sound, which received votes in the latest d3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, improved to 11-1 overall and remained perfect in conference play at 3-0.
The Missionaries gained their first lead of the contest four minutes in, as senior post player Kyle Dalvit knocked down a jumper for a 10-9 lead. Just two minutes later, Nick Parker knocked down a three to give Whitman its biggest - and last - lead of the night, at 18-16. The Loggers rolled off ten straight points over the next 1:58, staking an eight-point lead. The Missionaries battled back, though, trimming the lead to 29-28 with 8:01 to play in the first half. With just over four minutes to play and Whitman down by five, however, Puget Sound went on another run, scoring 12 of the next fourteen points to take a 51-36 lead. The Whitman defense held the Loggers to 37.3 percent shooting in the first half, but had 20 fewer attempts as they went into the break down 52-41. The Missionaries hit half of their 30 shots, but were just four of 14 from long range.
Dalvit hit his opening shot of the second half to cut the lead to nine points, but that was as close as Whitman would come. The Loggers refused to be slowed down as they extended their lead to as many as 23 points in the half and cruised to a 104-84 victory.
Dalvit and senior guard Greg Caldwell each had 14 points on the night for Whitman. Dalvit was a perfect five for five from the floor and knocked down four of five free- throws. Caldwell hit four shots from behind the arc, and grabbed eight rebounds. Cale Will and Casey Nelson also scored in double figures for the Missionaries, with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Point-guard Greg Ricker scored nine points while dishing out a team-high ten assists.
Whitman outrebounded the Loggers 51-40 on the night, but turned the ball over 31 times during the contest.
The Missionaries will try to come away with a weekend split as they battle Pacific Lutheran in Tacoma, Wash. on Saturday.
The Whitman men's basketball team won on the road Saturday evening, downing Pacific Lutheran 66-61 in a Northwest Conference contest in Tacoma, Wash. The Missionaries improved to 6-7 overall and evened up their conference record at 2-2. Pacific Lutheran fell to 4-9, 1-3 with the loss.
The Missionaries used a balanced offensive attack to win, as four players scored in double figures. Senior Casey Nelson led the way, making eight of 11 free-throw attempts enroute to 16 points. Sophomore Greg Ricker had a solid night at the point position, dishing out seven assists while knocking down 15 points. Greg Caldwell hit three long-range attempts and scored 13 points, while Kyle Dalvit contributed ten points on five of eight shooting and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
The Lutes held Whitman to just eight field goals in the first half and the Missionaries went into the break down 26-23. Two minutes into the second period, though, senior Cale Will hit one of his two three-pointers on the night to knot the score at 30-30. PLU hit the next basket, but Whitman responded with an 8-0 run - fueled by five points from Caldwell - to stake six-point lead. The Missionaries held the lead until the fifth tie of the game at 46-46 with 7:15 remaining. With the game again knotted 52-52 and 3:09 on the clock, Will hit his other trey and gave the Missionaries a lead they would not relinquish. Will sparked an 11-0 run capped by two Nelson free-throws, and Whitman held on in the closing minutes for a 66-61 win.
The Missionaries shot 61.9 percent from the field in the second half, including four of six shots from behind the arc. Although it was outrebounded 30 to 24, Whitman went to the charity stripe 16 more times than did PLU, and hit 11 more free-throws.
The Missionaries return home for a pair of conference games next weekend as they host Linfield and Pacific.
The Whitman men's basketball team ran into a cold night shooting as it fell to Linfield 63-57 Friday evening in a Northwest Conference matchup in Walla Walla, Wash. The Missionaries hit 37.7 percent of their shots in the loss, and are 6-8, 2-3 on the year. The Wildcats remained perfect at 4-0 in conference play, and are 9-4 overall.
Whitman leads the conference in shooting, making 49.1 percent from the field, but came out cold in the first half. Both teams struggled shooting the ball, but Linfield used a 6-0 run late in the half to take a 26-17 lead into the break. The Missionaries were seven of 28 from the floor while Linfield hit 12 of its 30 shots.
The Wildcats expanded their lead early in the second period, taking a 40-26 advantage on a jumper with 13:24 to play. Whitman cut the margin to nine four minutes later on a three-pointer by Greg Caldwell. The Wildcats responded with a 9-0 run over the next minute and a half, though, staking a 54-36 lead. Trailing 60-42 with 4:20 on the clock, the Missionaries made a late push, scoring fifteen of the next 17 points to pull within five. Sophomore Erik Kofler capped the run by hitting a trey with 52 seconds to play. Whitman was unable to complete the comeback, though, and fell 63-57.
"They did a nice job defending us tonight," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "We didn't respond well to their size and athleticism and got off to a slow start, but played better in the second half."
Caldwell led all scorers in the game, with 17, and finished with a team high six rebounds and four assists. Senior post player Casey Nelson had 11 points and four rebounds.
Each team forced 22 turnovers, and the Missionaries outrebounded the Wildcats by one, 37-36.
The Missionaries host Pacific Saturday evening in Sherwood Center as they continue their conference schedule.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell in a Northwest Conference matchup with Pacific 78-64 Saturday evening in Walla Walla, Wash. The Boxers attempted 24 more shots on the night, and improved to 6-7, 3-2. The Missionaries fell to 6-9, 2-4 with the loss.
The Boxers committed just seven turnovers during the contest, ten less than the Missionaries. Whitman hit 47.9 percent of its shots from the floor, but attempted just 48 on the night. Pacific hit 33 of its 72 attempts, including seven of 21 from beyond the arc. Whitman hit eight of its 21 three-pointers.
Pacific jumped on top early in the game, scoring the first nine points before senior Greg Caldwell came off the bench to get Whitman its first basket. The Boxers jumped out to their largest lead of the half at 17-9, but Caldwell again hit a shot, this time from long range. Late in the half Whitman cut the lead to one point on a pair of Kyle Dalvit free-throws, but it was unable to claim the lead and went into the break trailing, 32-28. The Boxers opened up the second half with a basket, but senior Jake Pounds scored eight straight for the Missionaries and tied the game at 36-36 with 17:03 to play. Pacific reclaimed the lead on the ensuing possession, but the Missionaries responded with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the night, 46-38. The Boxers rolled off the next 16 points, however, and never looked back as they went on to win the game, 78-64.
Caldwell continued his solid offensive play, scoring a team high 21 points on five of seven shooting from long range. Pounds also finished in double figures, with 10 points. Greg Ricker finished with eight points, six assists, and five rebounds. Dalvit hit three of four attempts and finished with eight points and a team high six rebounds.
The Missionaries next travel to Spokane, Wash. on Wednesday for a mid-week matchup with Whitworth.
Despite 17 points from senior Jake Pounds, the Whitman men's basketball team fell 82-65 to Whitworth Tuesday evening in Spokane, Wash. The Northwest Conference loss was the third straight for the Missionaries, who dropped to 6-9 overall and 2-5 in the conference. Whitworth improved to 11-5, 4-3.
Playing his final game in his hometown, Pounds made all eight of hits shots from the floor en route to his season-high point total. Pounds, who also grabbed four rebounds, played his prep ball at Spokane's Ferris High School.
With Pounds hitting a pair of layups, the Missionaries held leads of 25-15 and 27-18 midway through the first half. Senior guard Cale knocked down a 3-pointer at the 5:56 mark, giving the Missionaries a 31-23 lead. The Pirates controlled the remainder of the half, however, embarking on a 15-3 run to take a 38-34 lead at intermission.
Whitworth came out firing after the break as well, using a 13-0 run early in the second halft to take a 58-42 lead. The Missionaries pulled no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Three other Missionaries also scored in double digits. Casey Nelson continued his solid play in the post, putting up 11 points on five of seven shooting from the floor. Greg Caldwell also had 11, knocking down two shots from long range while grabbing a team-high five rebounds. Senior Matt Airy also two treys and finished with 10 points.
Whitman made 54 percent of its shots during the contest, but had 13 fewer attempts that Whitworth. The Pirates also made few mistakes in handling the ball, committing just six turnovers.
The Missionaries continue conference play on the road this Saturday, taking on George Fox on Saturday.
The Whitman men's basketball team continued to struggle Saturday night, falling on the road to George Fox 78-71 in a Northwest Conference game in Newberg, Ore. The Missionaries fell to 6-11 overall, and 2-6 in conference play. The Bruins won their first conference matchup and improved to 5-12, 1-7.
Sophomore point-guard Greg Ricker scored 21 points and had 6 assists to lead the Missionaries, while Cale Will scored 16 and Casey Nelson added 10. Will was six of six from the field, including four 3-pointers. Jake Pounds was the top rebounder for Whitman with 11.
The Missionaries were hot from behind the three-point line in the first half, knocking down eight of their 13 attempts. Greg Caldwell hit one at the ten-minute mark to give Whitman its biggest lead of the half, at 24-15. The Bruins battled back, though, eventually taking a 31-30 lead with 3:50 left. A free-throw by Casey Nelson with 1:23 knotted the score at 36-36, and it would remain tied going into halftime.
After three lead changes to begin the second half, Matt Airy gave the Missionaries their final lead at 45-44 by hitting a pair from the charity stripe with 16:53 to play. The Bruins made a layup on the ensuing possession to take the lead for good. A layup with 7:46 to go gave the home team its biggest lead to that point at 61-53 before the Missionaries battled back, cutting the gap to a single digit at 63-62 on a pair of Greg Ricker free throws with 5:12 to go. George Fox responded with a three-pointer, though, and held on for the 78-71 win.
The Missionaries, who lead the conference with 48.5 shooting percentage, hit 42.4 percent from the floor, just above the Bruins' 40.3 percent. The Missionaries struggled at the line, though, hitting just 11 of 18 free-throws, and were outrebound 44-35.
The Missionaries continue league play on the road next weekend. Whitman will take on Willamette on Friday and Lewis & Clark Saturday.
The Whitman men's basketball team opened up the second half of Northwest Conference play with a loss to Willamette Friday evening in Salem, Ore., fallling 74-54. The Missionaries, who upset the Bearcats 64-63 in early January in Walla Walla, dropped to 6-12 overall, and 2-7 in conference. The conference-leading Bearcats have won eight straight following the loss to Whitman, and are 13-5, 8-1.
Casey Nelson and Greg Caldwell scored in double digits for the Missionaries, with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Caldwell was also just one rebound away from a double-double, as he grabbed nine. Sophomore Greg Ricker, who went for 17 in the first meeting between the teams, was held to two points and five assists. Kyle Dalvit finished with nine points and five rebounds, and was a perfect four of four from the free-throw line.
The Missionaries jumped on top early in the contest, taking a 6-2 lead after Dalvit finished a three-point play with a free-throw. The Bearcats responded with five straight, though, and took a 14-8 lead halfway through the first period. A layup by Dalvit and a Nelson jumper cut the lead to two points a minute later. The remainder of the half was controlled by Willamette, as the Missionaries went into the break down 27-20. The Bearcats opened up the second half with six straight before Caldwell hit a free-throw. Four minutes in the Missionaries fell behind by 17 at 37-21. The closest Whitman would get was 54-40 with 8:34 to play as the Bearcats cruised the rest of the way.
Whitman struggled from long range in the first half, but knocked down six of nine attempts during the second period.
The Missionaries travel to Portland, Ore. to take on Lewis & Clark Satuday night.
The Whitman men's basketball went into the half tied 28-28 with Lewis & Clark Saturday night in Portland, Ore., but was unable to keep pace in the second period as it fell to the Loggers, 76-61. The Missionaries dropped their sixth consecutive Northwest Conference game, and are 6-13, 2-7. Lewis & Clark ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 12-7, 5-5.
The two teams battled to five ties and traded baskets for most of a first half. The Missionaries gained their biggest lead with 3:49 to play on an Erik Kofler layup that made the score 27-22. Senior Kyle Dalvit hit a free-throw two minutes later for a three-point lead, but a late trey for the Pioneers knotted the score at 28-28 going into the break. The Pioneers opened up the second half on 18-2 run to take a 46-30 lead. Whitman battled back over the next 11 minutes, cutting the lead to five at 56-51 with 6:30 to play. Lewis & Clark knocked down the next 12 points, however, and held on for the 76-61 win.
Senior post player Casey Nelson was the only Missionary in double figures, with 12 points. Nelson hit five of eights shots from the floor in 23 minutes of play. Greg Ricker had a solid game at point, finishing with six points, six rebounds, and six assists while turning the ball over only twice. First-year post Kyle Born came off the bench to play some quality minutes, hitting four of six attempts for eight points. Dalvit finished with seven points and a team high seven boards.
The Missionaries struggled shooting from behind the arc, making just four of 12 shots in each half. The Pioneers launched up 41 three-pointers, make 17. Whitman committed just 12 turnovers, while the Pioneers turned the ball over 11 times. Both teams hit 24 of 54 shots from the floor, while Lewis & Clark bested the Missionaries by one in rebounds, 34-33.
Whitman returns to Sherwood Center next weekend to host the conference-leading Puget Sound Loggers on Friday and Pacific Lutheran on Saturday.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell just short of upsetting No. 17 Puget Sound Friday night as it lost 85-83 in Walla Walla, Wash. The Missionaries dropped to 6-14 overall, 2-9 in Northwest Conference play. The Loggers won their sixth straight, and are 18-2, 10-1.
The Loggers scored the opening bucket, but Whitman responded with eight straight, spurred by two three-pointers from Greg Caldwell. Puget Sound rolled off eight straight of its own before the Missionaries regained the momentum and scored seven straight, taking at 15-10 lead. Whitman's largest lead off the half came at 19-12, but with 5:15 to play the Loggers regained the lead at 33-32. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the half, and Puget Sound went into the locker room up 41-38. The Missionaries controlled the first 11 minutes of the second half, and took a 71-59 lead on a pair of Casey Nelson free-throws. Whitman held a 75-65 lead with just under six minutes to go, but the Loggers went on an 11-3 run over the next three minutes. With 1:50 left in the game, Puget Sound hit a jumper to retake the lead at 81-80, and hit four free-throws in the final minute to hold on, winning 85-83.
"We played our hearts out tonight," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "We gave ourselves a shot at knocking off a top-20 team, but they just hit a couple key shots down the stretch."
Six Missionaries scored in double figures, led by Nelson with 16. Nelson went six of 10 from the floor, grabbed six rebounds and made all four of his free-throws. Jake Pounds, Kyle Dalvit and Caldwell each scored 12 and had seven rebounds. Matt Airy also had 12 points, while Greg Ricker finished with 11 points and nine assists.
As a team the Missionaries shot 53.3 percent from the floor and grabbed 56 rebounds. The Loggers had just 33 boards, but forced Whitman into 34 turnovers.
The Missionaries play again at Sherwood Center on Saturday as they host Pacific Lutheran at 8 p.m.
Sophomore Greg Ricker scored 21 points, but the Whitman men's basketball team fell to Pacific Lutheran 77-71 Saturday evening in Walla Walla, Wash. The Missionaries dropped their eighth straight, and are 6-15, 2-10. The Lutes avenged a loss earlier this season to the Missionaries, and are 5-16, 2-10.
Ricker scored 16 in the second half, and knocked down six of 12 from the floor while converting all seven of his free-throw opportunities during the game. Casey Nelson also scored in double figures, with 12, and grabbed nine rebounds. Erik Kofler played some solid minutes off the bench, and finished with five points and seven rebounds.
The teams traded baskets early on, and the score was tied 11-11 with 14 minutes to play in the half. The Lutes scored the next four, and extended their lead to 24-17 with 8:28 left. The Missionaries fell behind by 10 at the 3:37 mark, and went into the half down 36-27. Pacific Lutheran opened up the second half on a 5-0 run before Greg Caldwell knocked down a trey to make it 41-30. Caldwell sparked a 12-2 run as Whitman pulled within four. Pacific Lutheran responded with an 8-0 run of its own, taking a 51-39 lead with just under 12 minutes left. With 5:11 remaining, Whitman faced its largest deficit, at 15, but pulled within five in the final minute before losing, 77-71.
Whitman, the conference leader in shooting percentage, struggled against the Lutes as it hit just 31.7 percent from the floor. In a game that saw 51 fouls called, the Missionaries hit 24 of 32 from the charity stripe, while the Lutes converted on 20 of 36.
Whitman plays two conference games on the road next weekend, taking on Linfield Friday and Pacific on Saturday.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell at the hands of Linfield 89-77 Friday night in Northwest Conference action in McMinnville, Ore. The Missionaries fell to 6-16, 2-11 with their ninth-consecutive loss. The Wildcats are 14-7, 9-3 with the win and moved into second place in the conference with Willamette falling to Puget Sound tonight.
Four Missionaries hit double-digits in scoring, led by senior guard Greg Caldwell with 15. Caldwell hit five of eight from the field, including three of four from long range. Another senior guard, Cale Will, finished with 14, hitting four of six from behind the arc. Freshman Ian Warner came off the bench to give the Missionaries a spark, knocking down four of five attempts for 11 points. Warner was a perfect three for three from long range. Jake Pounds finished with 10 points, and grabbed a team-high five rebounds. Greg Ricker continued his consistent play from the point, scoring eight and dishing out eight assists.
As they have done for most of the season, the Missionaries played solid in the first half, and went into the break down 37-36. Neither team held more than a seven point lead in the period, and the game was tied on six different occasions.
The Wildcats scored two quick baskets just after the half to extend the lead to five, but Will and Caldwell nailed back to back threes to give Whitman a one-point lead. With 15:57 left, Whitman remained ahead by one, but Linfield scored 10 straight over the next two and a half minutes to take a 55-44 advantage.
Nick Parker knocked down a three to stop the scoring streak, but the Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run to take a 16-point lead with 10:32 to go. The Missionaries were able to cut it to single digits again with 4:39 remaining on a Warner trey, but failed to get any closer, falling 89-77.
The Wildcats dominated the backboards, outrebounding Whitman 45 to 28. The Missionaries shot well from the outside, making 15 of 27 attempts. As a team, Whitman shot 45.2 percent from the floor. Linfield knocked down just five of 17 from long range, but 47.5 percent overall.
Whitman plays on the road again on Saturday night against Pacific before returning to Sherwood Center on Tuesday for a matchup with Whitworth.
The Whitman men's basketball team fell in a nail biter Saturday evening in Forest Grove, Ore., losing to Pacific 69-66 in a Northwest Conference matchup. The Missionaries dropped to 6-17 overall and 2-12 in conference action. Pacific improved to 6-7, 10-12.
The Missionaries fell just short of avenging a 78-64 loss to the Boxers earlier this season in Walla Walla.
Neither team was able to establish a big lead in the first half. The Boxers led early 9-4 but the team's battled back and forth for much of the half. Nick Parker drained a three to give Whitman its largest lead with seven minutes remaining, at 25-18. The Boxers fought back to tie the game at 30-30 with just over two minutes to play, but Whitman went into the half up 34-33.
The second half was played just as tight as the first, and the teams were tied for the eighth time at 54 apiece with 9:06 on the clock. Neither team led by more than four points for the rest of the game. With 1:18 to play, Pacific held a 66-62 advantage. Greg Ricker then drove through the lane for a layup, though, and assisted on a Kyle Dalvit jumper after a Boxer turnover to force the game's 10th tie with 32 seconds left. Pacific scored on the ensuing possession, however, and converted a free-throw in winning 69-66.
Whitman's two senior post players, Casey Nelson and Kyle Dalvit, paced the offense with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Nelson was six of 12 from the field while Dalvit hit four of his five attempts, and nailed all six of his free-throws. Nelson was also the team leader in rebounding, with seven. Point-guard Greg Ricker also hit the double-digit mark, scoring 12 on a perfect six for six from the floor.
The Missionaries hit a lofty 62.5 percent of their shots during the contest, and held Pacific to 47.4 shooting. The Boxers, though, fired off 17 more shots than Whitman. The Missionaries also committed 16 turnovers, while forcing the Boxers into nine miscues.
Whitman went 10 for 13 from the free-throw line, and hit six of 11 from long range. The Boxers shot just five free-throws - making four - and were 11 of 28 from beyond the arc.
The Missionaries finish up the season with two games in Walla Walla. They will take on Whitworth on Tuesday, and then host George Fox in the season finale on Saturday.
Senior post-player Casey Nelson scored 19 points, but the Whitman men's basketball team fell to Whitworth 83-78 Tuesday night in Northwest Conference action in Walla Walla, Wash. Whitworth, currently second in the conference standings, improved to 18-6, 11-4. The Missionaries dropped their eleventh staight, and are 6-18, 2-13.
After spotting the Pirates a 15-point lead six minutes in, the Missionaries rolled off 17 of the next 21 points to knot the score at 22 apiece with 8:42 left. Whitman hit five of seven threes during the spurt, sparked by three from Matt Airy. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, and a trey from Cale Will with 35 seconds left tied the game for the sixth time, 41-41.
Jake Pounds nailed a three to start the second half as Whitman saw its only lead of the game. With 16:39 left, Whitworth hit a jumper to regain the lead 48-47. The Pirates extended their lead to five, but Whitman would not go away, and the game was tied for the 10th time at 65-65 with just over four minutes remaining. Whitworth connected from long range, though, and would never relinquish the lead in winning 83-78.
Nelson shot seven of 10 on the night for his 19 points, and grabbed five boards. Sophomore Greg Ricker also shot well, nailing five of his seven attempts for 13. Pounds was the third Missionary in double digits with 11, and connected on three of four from deep.
Whitman will finish up its season on Saturday as it plays host to George Fox.
Sophomore Greg Ricker exploded for 21 points and lifted the Whitman men's basketball team to a 72-69 win over George Fox Saturday night in Walla Walla, Wash. The Missionaries snapped an 11 game Northwest Conference losing streak, and finished the season at 7-18, 3-13. George Fox fell to 7-18, 3-13.
Ricker made all but one of his shots from the floor, hitting on nine of 10. Senior Casey Nelson reached double figures for the 18th time this year with his 11 points, hitting three of five shots and five of nine free-throws.
Five other seniors were also playing in their final game as Missionaries. Matt Airy finished with nine points, Kyle Dalvit six, Jake Pounds five, Cale Will four, and Greg Caldwell grabbed three rebounds.
The teams traded baskets to begin the game, with five ties in the first five minutes. Trailing 10-9, the Bruins ran off 11 straight, taking a 20-10 lead seven minutes in. Whitman rebounded, and Ricker knocked down a jumper to make the score 22-20 in favor of the Bruins with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half. George Fox extended its lead to seven with 6:45 to play, and Whitman went into the half down, 37-32.
Six minutes into the second period, the Missionaries found themselves down double-digits at 50-40. Whitman scored seven straight, though, capped by a breakaway dunk by Nick Parker. With 6:36 remaining on the clock, the Bruins held a 64-57 advantage. The Missionaries went on another run, scoring eight straight, taking a one-point lead. With 1:29 to go, Nelson connected on a layup and gave Whitman a 70-69 lead. Neither team could score as time wound down until Will put in the final basket for a 72-69 win.
In its final game of the year, the Missionaries shot 49.1 percent from the floor. Whitman was tops in the conference in shooting percentage, led by Ricker at 57.6 percent.