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Whitman College Athletics

Schedule

Xzavier Lino
69
Winner Eastern Ore. EOU 1-0
57
Whitman Whitm 0-1,0-0 NWC
Winner
Eastern Ore. EOU
1-0
69
Final
57
Whitman Whitm
0-1,0-0 NWC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Eastern Ore. EOU 35 34 69
Whitman Whitm 36 21 57

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Falls To EOU On Opening Night

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Nikola Trifunovic scored a team-high 19 points, Xzavier Lino was one rebound shy of a double double at 18 points and nine boards, but it wasn't enough as the Whitman College men's basketball team dropped its season opener 69-57 to Eastern Oregon, Friday night at Sherwood Center.

Walter Lum added nine points but shot just 1-6 in three pointers for the Blues who led by one point at halftime. The shots didn't fall as readily in the second half as Whitman hit only 27% from the floor in the second 20 minutes.

Phillip Malatare did the damage for the Mountaineers who dominated the Blues in the paint 48-16. Malatare dropped a game-high 29 points on 11-14 shooting with Xavier Lovelace adding 14 points and seven rebounds.

The first half featured a very competitive affair. Whitman (0-1) trailed early before a Lino breakaway slam got the Blues going, cutting the lead to 9-5 with 15:39 to play. Weston Crump then found his shot, hitting from the floor then scoring on a driving layup after his own steal to make it an 18-14 score.

The Blues took their first lead at 25-24 with under eight minutes to play when Lum hit a jumper after Lino hit from beyond the arc. The teams traded buckets with Lino putting Whitman up by two with another dunk and the Blues carried a 36-35 lead into the locker room.

Coupled with several missed layups, the Blues were off the mark in the second half in scoring only 21 points. Zane Wright's bucket gave EOU an early seven point lead but Lum connected on his lone three pointer, a corner shot to shave the lead to 43-39 with 15:59 to play.

EOU regained the momentum and took its first double-digit lead at 49-39. Back-to-back three pointers from Lino and Trifunovic trimmed the deficit to six points but that was as close as the Blues would get.

Whitman will have two weeks off before returning to action Saturday, Nov. 20 at Walla Walla University.

 
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