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Whitman College Athletics

Schedule

Darne Duckett
70
Whitman WHITM 18-6, 13-2 NWC
73
Winner Linfield LIN-M 18-5, 12-2 NWC
Whitman WHITM
18-6, 13-2 NWC
70
Final
73
Linfield LIN-M
18-5, 12-2 NWC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Whitman WHITM 34 36 70
Linfield LIN-M 49 24 73

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Falls At Linfield In Regular Season Finale

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - The Blues' road to the NCAA Tournament just got a little tougher. Rallying from a 21-point second-half deficit, the Whitman College men's basketball team came up just short in the team's regular season finale, falling to Linfield 73-70 in Northwest Conference, Friday night at Ted Wilson Gym.

The Blues (18-7, 13-3 NWC) entered the night with a regular season title and the NWC Tournament's top seed still in the cards, but now are hoping for a Whitworth win over Linfield (19-5, 13-2 NWC) on Saturday to secure a home game in next week's NWC Tourney semifinal.

Darne Duckett and Jaron Kirkley led the Blues, each scoring 15 points with Duckett adding a team-high 11 rebounds for the double double. The game came down to the final seconds and Whitman trailing by two points with possession of the ball. Andrew Vickers drove baseline and found Kirkley in the paint. Kirkley, absorbing contact, elevated to the hoop but couldn't get his shot to go. Max Lommen went 1-2 from the free throw line after the ensuing foul to complete the scoring.

Dempsey Roggenbuck scored 18 points and Austin Hilton added 11 points and 15 rebounds for Linfield who were plus-11 in points off turnovers and took advantage of a poor shooting night from the Blues (31%).

Will Burghardt's basketball put Linfield up by 21 points with 10:18 to play but the Blues came storming back. Sparked by a Kirkley three pointer, Whitman reeled off 11 straight points to shave the deficit to 68-59 with 4:11 to play. The Blues were perfect from the line down the stretch and, coupled with a Duckett three-pointer, cut the Wildcat lead to only five points with 2:30 remaining. Duckett scored again with 45 seconds to play to make it a one score game, but that was as close as Whitman got.

The early part of the game saw a back-and-forth battle between two of the league's top teams. Max Lommen nailed a three pointer to give the Wildcats a 10-9 lead, then later, Michael Gutierrez hit a three of his own to tie up the game with 15:50 to play in the half.

Bryce Mulder hit a pair of free throws to tie up the game at 22-22, but the Wildcats slowly took control from there. Linfield went on a 12-2 run capped by a Grant Gibb three pointer, giving the Wildcats a 10-point lead with 4:47 to play. 

Robert Colton's bucket with 4:18 to play until halftime made it a 12-point ball game, but the Blues then went cold from the floor. They went scoreless from the floor for a 3:02 stretch until Duckett's three pointer late in the half. The lead had swelled to 19 points before Duckett's shot and the Blues went into the locker room facing a 49-34 deficit.

The Blues will keep an eye on Saturday's Whitworth-Linfield matchup which will determine whether they open the NWC Tournament at home or on the road.
 
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