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Whitman College Athletics

Schedule

Jaron Kirkley
87
Winner Whitworth Whitw 20-4,13-1 NWC
82
Whitman Whitm 18-6,13-2 NWC
Winner
Whitworth Whitw
20-4,13-1 NWC
87
Final
82
Whitman Whitm
18-6,13-2 NWC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Whitworth Whitw 39 48 87
Whitman Whitm 37 45 82

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Falls To Whitworth In Battle of NWC Heavyweights

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Jaron Kirkley posted team highs of 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists and, like his Whitman teammates, left everything he had out on the floor. It wouldn't be enough though as the Whitman College men's basketball team fell to Whitworth 87-82 in a battle of Northwest Conference heavyweights, Tuesday night at the Sherwood Center.

The result was a key one for both teams who entered the day sharing the conference lead. The win for the Bucs clinches at least a share of the NWC regular season title and for the Blues (18-6, 13-2 NWC), everything now to play for when they visit Linfield for their conference finale.

Ben College dropped a game-high 23 points for the Bucs (20-4, 14-1 NWC) with Sam Lees adding 21 points (10-16) and 13 rebounds. Whitworth registered 50 points in the paint and was plus-13 in points off turnovers.

The Blues seemed poised to overtake the Pirates late in the game on a handful of occasions. Andrew Vickers (20 pts) hit a pair of free throws to put his team up a point with 7:36 remaining, but Kea Vargas responded with a corner three pointer. Darne Duckett tied the game up with a basket but later College connected on a short jumper to extend the Buc lead to 76-71.

The momentum appeared to permanently shift in favor of the Blues when Trevor Osborne nailed a game-tying three pointer with 1:42 to play, sending the capacity Sherwood Center crowd into a frenzy. Isaiah Hernandez responded on the next possession, completing an and-one three-point play to put Whitworth back on top.

The opening to the game was not a good one for the Blues. After Robert Colton scored on Whitman's opening possession, the Bucs ran off 17 unanswered points. A handful of players got in on the run which was capped by a Liam Fitzgerald three pointer as Whitworth went up 17-2 less than five minutes into the game.

No one expected the tone of the game to continue, least of all the Blues. Kirkley and Duckett got it going, both completing and-one three pointers to shave the deficit to four points. Reed Brown's three pointer stemmed the tide though as Whitworth continued to keep Whitman at arms length. 

Whitman continued to navigate itself back into the game and flipped a switch when Andrew Vickers drained a straightaway three pointer to cut the Whitworth lead to 34-32 with 2:27 to play in the first half. Nikola Trifunovic brought the Blues all the way back when he nailed a three pointer, but the Bucs responded with a basket to take the slim lead into halftime.

The Blues close out the regular season this Friday, Feb. 21 at Linfield. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.

 
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