Men's BB Plays Saturday in Spokane; Live Stats Available

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Finals week ends Friday and the Whitman College men's basketball team hits the road Saturday for the first of three neutral-site games in five days. 

Whitman takes a 5-2 record to Spokane on Saturday for a
5 p.m. contest against Northwestern College (St. Paul, Minn.) in the Whitworth University gym.

Whitman fans can follow the action via a live stats feed (see link, above right).

While Northwestern stays in Spokane on Sunday to play Whitworth that night, the Missionaries head for Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, for two more games early next week.

Whitman plays Buena Vista University (Storm Lake, Iowa) at 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wheaton University (Illinois) at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Northwestern, 5-4 to start this season, has won nine of the last 11 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference titles and is the preseason favorite to defend the crown it won a year ago as part of a 21-7 season.

The Eagles return two starters from last year's squad, which saw its season end with a regional tournament loss to St. Thomas, the eventual national champion.

Northwestern's returning starters are both juniors, 6-foot-2 guard Wade Chitwood and 6-foot-4 guard/forward Tom Gisler.

Chitwood was averaging a team-high 14.8 points and 3.1 rebounds through the team's first eight games this season while Gisler was combining 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Other key players for the Eagles are 6-foot-5 seniors Gabe Jefferson (6.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Ethan Benton (6.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg). Aaron Reep, a 6-foot-2 senior point guard, adds 5.4 points and 6.5 assists.

Josh Duckworth launches jumper

Through its first eight games, Northwestern was averaging more than eight 3-point baskets per game while shooting 41.5 percent as a team from beyond the arc. Gisler is the primary 3-point threat, having made 24 of his first 46 attempts (52.2 percent).

In last weekend's 74-72 victory over Luther, Whitwood and Gisler combined to hit all eight of their 3-point shots while scoring a total of 47 points.

Meanwhile, Whitman heads to the next phase of its season with three players averaging in double figures.

Senior David Michaels leads the way at 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds. Senior Brandon Shaw (11.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and sophomore Josh Duckworth (11.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) provide more firepower.

Sophomore LuQuam Thompson, rounding back into form after missing last season to injury, is contributing 8.4 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Others in the mix are juniors Peter Clark (6.9 ppg), Drew Raher (5.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Ignas Pavilonis (4.7 ppg), senior D.J. Wright (4.9 rpg) and sophomores Ryan Gilkey (4.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Jordan Dickson (3.9 ppg).

Like Northwestern, Whitman is averaging more than eight 3-pointers per game. Clark has a team-high 14 strikes from behind the arc, but a total of 11 players have at least one 3-pointer.

Raher is nine of 17 from long distance, which equates to a Northwest Conference-leading 52.9 percent.

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu